A Lost Darkness
by Lilith Tsutomo
Summary: The defeat of Malomyotismon wasn't the end of it, as Ken soon learns. New threats quickly arise with new powers of magic. However, with the help of Ken's new friends, new magic, and a new form of Digivolving, the side of good may just stand a chance...
1. Ch1:Ariyuki

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki (more to come in future chapters). I don't own any of the Digidestined or their parents. If anyone knows Ken's parent's American names, it would be great if you could tell me. I'm not sure I got them right. By the way, I know the Digidestined's real names are all Japanese like Hikari, Daisuke, etc. but I'm going to use their American names, because I know how to spell them.

A Lost Darkness: Chapter 1

Ariyuki

_Born from Darkness in the Light, the child exists in shadow_

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight

Yet know he not the road is long, and should he stray from right

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night...

"Wha...where am I? What is this place? I'm so cold..._Help me, someone_!"

"Man, what a day," whined the indigo haired, supremely genius boy. School had just ended, and a fatigued Ken Ichijouji trudged down the sidewalk, his bookcase over his shoulder and his hand in his pocket. He sighed and stared up at the sky; he couldn't wait to get home and rest. He just hoped there wouldn't be any obstacles to keep him from his destination like yesterday; there had been a traffic accident and the sidewalks were packed with worried and infuriated spectators so that it was impossible to get through them; Ken was stuck amongst the suffocating mob for three hours.

To Ken's despair, there was an obstacle; two obstacles. The two _last_ obstacles he'd want to face when he was tired, sore, and had a headache.

"Ken! Hey there!"

"What's shakin', Ken? _Ow_! Hey, watch where your stepping your large feet, Yolie!"

"Keep out of my way, _crybaby_, Davis!"

Davis and Yolie, fighting as usual, came bounding down the sidewalk to the left of Ken, racing to see who could reach him first. Had Ken not used his quick reflexes and dodged the Duo of Disaster they would have crashed right into him and caused another accident. Reviving from the painful crash right into a traffic light post that Yolie had pushed him into to save herself, Davis jumped up and threw his arm around Ken's achy shoulder. Ken winced in agony.

"So, how was your day?" Davis asked cheerfully, clearly in the usual plucky mood.

Ken wished dearly that he could just slap that silly grin off Davis's face. "Well-"

"Bet it was a breeze, right?"

"Actually-"

"Doesn't your team have soccer practice today?"

"No, we-"

"Everyone's gonna go to Keichoe's Ice Cream Parlor, Ken. Ya comin'?" Yolie budded in.

"_NO_!" Ken shouted, more sharply than he had intended, wrenching himself from Davis's Kung Fu-like grip, "Sorry, but I have a _ton_ of homework to do," He lied, patting his book case convincingly.

"Aw, man! That bites! What's it for?" Davis asked.

Ken grinned to himself; just about any excuse, no matter how stupid it sounds, could fool Davis. "It's for Earth Science," Ken replied, giving a fake, yet quite believable face of misery. "I must determine the definition of Oceanography, then create a Mohs scale of a mineral's hardness. Then I have to use a mineral, scrape it across a tile, and try to create a non-glazed, porcelain streak." 

Not to Ken's surprise, Davis and Yolie, though not as stupid as Davis, looked stumped. 

"Could you translate that?"

"Shut up, Davis! Well, if you ever get finished with it, let us know, alright?"

"Sure thing," said Ken, walking away, hiding his face of self-amusement from his friends. "Thank God," he muttered to himself once he was a block away from Davis and Yolie. He massaged his achy shoulder, wishing bitterly that he had taken the long way home. At least then he could have avoided The Pair of Pains. The two _were_ great friends to him; he just _really_ wasn't in the mood for their shenanigans. 

Ken inhaled deeply and looked at the peaceful sky; it was a nice light blue with puffy, soft looking, marshmallow-like clouds dotted here and there. To his left was a warm breeze just strong enough to ruffle his soft blue hair. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in his deep thoughts. What a year it had been.

He remembered plainly two months ago, when he and his friends had rid their world, and the Digital World of the Evil menace, Malo Myotismon. It took every Digidestined in the world and their wishes to defeat him. Without that, Malo Myotismon surely would have won that battle and would be ruling both worlds by now. Ken recalled as if it were yesterday, Malo Myotismon disappearing, but he also remembered seeing something he knew the others didn't; a single bat with a crimson "M" on its head flew away out of sight. He told himself over and over again that it was nothing, that it might have just been a wisp of dark clouds, but he still couldn't shake the premonition of a trace of Evil in the air; a whisper of Darkness still lingered, and he could feel it constantly.

He didn't dare tell the others about this, in fear of a various number of reactions: They could all be terrified by his news and panic; they could all scoff and call him crazy, which could dramatically drop their relying on him; or they could, actually _would_ bombard him with questions and never leave him alone. No, they were better off _not_ knowing.

A sudden sound brought him back to reality; a sob, or sniffle. Definitely a sound of someone crying. Ken reopened his eyes and, judging by the direction of the sound, turned to his left. Of all the evil, surprising, unexpected Digimon, _nothing_ prepared Ken for what he saw. His entire body came to a halt, and he stared.

It was _him_! Or was it? He couldn't believe his eyes; Walking down an alley, in the opposite direction of him, was _himself_. Stunned, and making an attempt to see if he wasn't imagining things, Ken squinted at the slowly shrinking figure; he could barely identify him, because he was so distant, but the little detail he could see was blue hair, and a gray outfit. He blinked, and at that moment a crowd of people overtook him, separating his eyes from the kid; when the mass of bustling people dispersed, Ken scanned the ally for any trace of the mysterious youth, but he had gone.

Ken stood there for about three minutes, unable to conceive what his own eyes told him. Had he just seen himself walking down the alley? Or was he more stressed than he thought? He took a deep breath and shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. His entire body was hot from sudden shock, and his legs were weak and numb; when he thought he heard Davis and Yolie's voices down the street, he decided he'd better start heading home.

Once entering his place of residence, he used his tired feet to kick off his shoes, then walked over to the living room, and slumped down on the couch, sighing heavily. He massaged his shoulder, remembering bitterly when Davis grabbed it. Ken was seconds away from ripping Davis's arm off.

A delicious smell that he hadn't noticed upon entering caught his attention. He forced himself up off the sofa and sauntered into the kitchen. On the stove, boiling in a pot, were his mother's homemade noodles. Taking an extra sniff, he noticed she had added tofu and garlic. Ken took a quick look around, making sure no one was near, then grabbed a pair of chopsticks (his favorite blue ones), extracted a single noodle, and slurped it up; like everything else his mother cooked, it was hot and delicious.

"_Ken Ichijouji_!"

Ken nearly choked on the noodle in shock. He spun around and saw his mother, Molly, standing in the kitchen, her arms folded, and giving Ken a _What-are-you-up-to_? kind of grin. He swallowed his half-eaten piece of noodle and smiled. "It's delicious, mom."

Molly stepped forward and gave her son a hug, which he did in return, and asked, "How was your day, sweety?" 

"Exhausting," he replied into his mother's chest. "While in gym class, I got kinda careless and a soccer ball struck me hard on the shoulder," Ken pulled down his shirt collar to reveal a large bruise on his right shoulder.

Molly gasped. "Oh, you poor thing! Does it hurt much?"

"Not as much as when I got hit," said Ken.

"Well, I'll get an icepack," replied his mom. She hurriedly walked to the freezer and grabbed the icepack from the top shelf. She handed it to Ken, saying, " Now you go lay down and rest with this. I'll bring you your dinner when it's ready." She kissed Ken on the forehead.

Since no one else was around, Ken didn't blush. "Thanks, mama." Sitting on the sofa, Ken wondered if he should have told his mom about him seeing _himself_ in that alleyway, but thought better of it. He didn't want his mother thinking he had been knocked silly by the soccer ball.

Two hours later, when Ken's shoulder was numb from the freezing icepack, his father, Cal came home, looking almost as exhausted as his son.

"Hi, dad," said Ken from the couch.

"Hey, son. What's wrong with your shoulder?" he asked, noticing, and pointing to Ken's cold compress.

"Nuthin'," Ken replied, "just an accident at school today with a soccer ball. How was your day?"

"Do you really have to ask?" said his father, sitting down next to Ken, gazing up at the ceiling. "It was long, and tiring, and I thought my secretary would _never_ leave me alone about the joke I told today." He looked down at his son and added, "Judging by the icepack, I'd say your day wasn't fabulous either."

Ken made a face. "Well, as soon as the chicken's done, dinner'll be ready."

"Thank you, God!" said his father, putting his hands together in an exaggerated prayer, "I'm so hungry, I thought I was gonna die of starvation at the office."

Unable to bear his refrigerated shoulder anymore, Ken removed his cold compress, trotted back to the scrumptious smelling kitchen, and stuck it back into the freezer where it would wait until someone else in the family received an injury. His stomach growling, Ken opened the oven to check on the fried chicken; it certainly smelled done. To Ken and his father's delight, the oven timer went off at that exact moment. Molly came bustling into the kitchen. "Finally," she exclaimed, checking the mouthwatering chicken, "I bet you're both hungry. I know I am."

Dinner was luscious as always; the tofu and garlic noodles had given off such a delectable fragrance that the entire bowl was the first on the table to be bolted down. The broth was the best part. Ken drank the warm, flavorful liquid down like his favorite tea. Certainly no one could resist Molly's chicken; she knew just how to cook it so that the inner and outer layer was juicy, mouthwatering and tender.

"I've died and gone to heaven, dear!" said Cal in a dreamy way, after he consumed his last bit of noodles. 

After the gone but not forgotten dinner was finished, Ken treaded wearily into his room, carrying with him a plate of left over noodles and chicken, where he met Wormmon, sitting on his computer chair.

"Here," said Ken, setting the tray down on the floor. "This is for you. Mom's cooking was great today!"

"Wormmon took one bite and smiled at Ken in contentment. "It _is_ great!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah. Man, I'm exhausted," moaned Ken, stretching and unzipping his gray school shirt. While throwing it on his bed, and rummaging around his dresser for a pair of pajamas, Ken decided to tell Wormmon about seeing himself. He knew Wormmon wouldn't think he was crazy. "Hey, Wormmon," he began, but at that moment, Ken's mother creaked the door open.

"Ken? Oh, you're getting ready for bed? Never mind, then."

Molly made to leave, but Ken stopped her. "No, mom. What do ya need?"

"Well," Molly hesitated.

"What?"

"Oh, I'm such a silly goose!" said his mom. "Out of all my errands today, I forgot to pick up the bread and brownie mix..." her voice trailed off from there.

"You want me to go get 'em for ya?" asked Ken in a weary to himself voice.

"Well...I was hoping you would, honey. See, I've got laundry to do, and your father's not feeling well-"

"Yeah, I know," said Ken. "Don't worry. I'll do it," Ken sighed, then pulled on and zipped up his school jacket.

"What were you saying, Ken?" Wormmon asked.

"Nothing; I'll tell ya later," said Ken.

"It's kinda cold outside, honey. You should wear your sweater," Molly walked back into Ken's room and over to his closet and pulled out his green and purple sweater that his mother made. "Here."

"Thanks, mom," said Ken, taking the sweater from his mom and pulling it over his head. As he started shoving his last arm through the last sweater hole, Ken strolled over to the front door, opened it, and took a step outside. Gazing up at the sky, Ken saw it was a dark shade of blue with thick gray clouds everywhere; much different from earlier that day. It was going to rain. "I might be a little late coming home," Ken announced to his parents, opening the closet door next to the front door and extracting a black umbrella.

"Be careful, dear!" Molly called after Ken as he closed the door.

Outside, in the gloomy twilight, the breeze was colder than he thought. As the soft, yet chilling wind blew against his back, a shiver ran up his spine; Ken shifted his shoulders. As Ken walked down the sidewalk, pass the same tall, dark buildings he'd grown used to seeing over the years, he came across the passage where he thought he saw himself. He halted, giving the alley a last glance, but nothing was there. Just a cold gust of wind that ruffled his hair and howled through his ears like a sorrowful cry.

It strongly reminded him of the crying he heard earlier; the crying he heard from himself. Suddenly, the lane grew unpleasant and uninviting. The billowing wind gave the alley a dark effect, and the noise in the trashcans (probably caused by cats) weren't helping. A sudden rattling noise from somewhere made Ken gasp, turn, and walk away swiftly, trying not to look too much like he was afraid. 

Once he entered the warm grocery store, he felt much safer. He took one look back outside in the dark gloom before heading to the baked goods isle. After retrieving the wheat bread from the isle, he started for the brownie mix. Once that was nabbed, he strolled over to the deserted checkout center and paid $3.50 for the mix, and $4.20 for the wheat bread. Ken took notice to a store window and squinted outside; from what he could see through the dark windows, it was raining hard.

The store clerk noticed Ken gripping his umbrella in tension and slight fear. She gripped his shoulder and Ken looked up into her gentle, yet tired brown eyes. Though young, her brown hair was dull and worn-out looking. "You can make it," she said wisely. "Just watch yourself."

Securing the groceries by tying the bag into a tight knot, Ken unfolded his umbrella, took a last look at the kind clerk, who gave a wave good-bye, then slowly stepped outside. Though the wind was hardly blowing, it was freezing outside. The rain poured down swiftly. Thinking out of the will to get back home to the warmth, Ken dashed across from street to street, hardly noticing he was nearly run over by a passing van, though he did get soaked by the puddle the van ran over.

Just as he began darting pass the alley without giving it a thought, a sudden noise caught his ears. He halted, and backtracked until he was standing in front of the passageway. He couldn't see anything, but he knew what he was hearing; crying. His grip tightened on the umbrella handle with apprehension. The sobbing was clearly coming from the other side of the alley.

Ken darted down the alleyway, breathing heavily. The crying was getting louder as he grew nearer. His heart pounded, excitement coursing through him. This might be his chance to see if he'd actually seen himself or not. 

Tripping and slipping occasionally on the floor littered with garbage, Ken kept his ears open to the sniffling and sobbing of the mysterious youth. Finally he made it to the other side. Panting and pleased with himself, he gazed around. He wasn't familiar with this part of Tokyo. It seemed deserted, lonely, and a place for homeless people to live; Ken felt uncomfortable here.

Just as he began to forget what he was doing here, he heard it; the crying. It was coming from straight ahead, though Ken couldn't see because this part of the city was clouded with a light mist. Ken walked slowly through the fog, making sure he wouldn't pass the mysterious youth. Just as his feet were getting soggy and cold, he heard a particularly loud, shrill sob.

Ken shot his head up from the ground, and there, ten yards away was _him_, the imposter child.

"Hey!" Ken shouted angrily, rushing forward. Whoever this kid was, he was in for a good, long chat. However, as Ken drew closer, he started slowing down, and stared in both disbelief and disappointment; it wasn't him. This boy's hair was far too long; about to his hips, and in a braid. This kid's hair was also a slightly lighter shade of blue than his own, even though it was hard to notice because it was so wet.

Ken even realized that this kid was only about nine or ten years old. He was wearing an outfit similar to Ken's, only he had a long, gray jacket. The youngling was crying into his knees, his little hands gripping his pants tightly; he was frightened. 

"Hey," said Ken more gently this time.

The child snapped his head up and gazed into Ken's face. His eyes were big and blue, the kind of eyes Yolie would fall for instantly, and tears were streaming from them, mingling with the rain on his cheeks.

"You okay?" Ken asked, sitting beside the youngster.

He drew a deep, shuddering breath and shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Ken continued, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I...I'm lost," he replied down to his knees. He voice was high-pitched and somewhat girlish. "I don't know where I am."

"Oh," Ken gazed around. "Are your from this part of town?"

"N-no!" he replied, unable to control his quavering voice. "I don't e-even think I'm from-from this place!"

"You're not from Tokyo?" Ken asked in surprise.

The boy shook his head, water splashing from his long hair, and into Ken's face. He sighed. "Do you know how you got here?"

"No!" the boy sobbed. "I don't know where I came from. All-all I know is that-that this isn't my home!"

"Could you tell me how and when you got to this part of town?"

"I remember that-that I woke up here. Right here on this bench! I tried calling for Ma-mama, but she didn't-she didn't come! I started wandering around here, but when-when I knew she wasn't any-anywhere, I came back here! Af-after I cried for a long, long time, I walked down there-" he pointed down the street, "-and I met a weird old lady!"

"She l-looked scary and told me I was awfully young to be around here at this time! I was so scared of her, I ran away as-as fast as I c-could! Twice someone tried to take me away! The second one-one tried to hurt me! I'm so scared!"

The boy wrapped his little trembling arms around Ken's waist and cried even more into Ken's chest. Ken then embraced the young one with his left hand, his other hand on his umbrella, holding it over both him and the boy. While comforting him, Ken thought to himself. He couldn't just leave him here. Twice the poor thing had nearly been abducted and possibly killed.

Ken pulled himself out of the warm embrace. "C'mon," he said. "I want to take you to my house. Me and my parents will take care of you for a while. We'll get ya cleaned up," Ken held out his hand and the boy took it without question, giving Ken a timid smile. As they walked hurriedly toward the alley where Ken came from, Ken told the child his name. "What's yours?" he asked.

"Ariyuki," he replied, staring up at Ken.

"Well, Ariyuki, I think it's best that we get out of here as fast as we can."

"Me too."

A few feet from the alleyway, the two boys were block by a fat, middle-aged woman. With a red umbrella over her red head, she was dressed like a Madam, and gave Ken the creeps. 

"And what would two fine young lads like yourselves be doing in a place like _this_ at this time of night?" The Madam grinned at Ariyuki, who's grip tightened on Ken's hand. She then reached her long, red painted fingers toward the youngling, a cynical look on her crooked moleful face.

Realizing the intentions of this Madam, Ken pulled the frightened Ariyuki behind him. "C'mon," he told him, grabbing his hand, and sliding around the woman, not taking his eyes off her. The big woman gave them both a wicked smile. If she was the old woman Ariyuki had mentioned, he was going to make sure she didn't come anywhere near him.

Once on the other side of the alley, Ken glanced at his water-proof watch. It read 9:00. Looking down, he noticed Ariyuki yawn and close his eyes. Thinking, Ken lifted the light Ariyuki off the ground, and began to carry him. He heard Ariyuki yawn again, and felt him wrap his arms around his neck; he had fallen asleep.

Finally, after walking for what seemed like hours, Ken found himself knocking on his locked door. The door opened, and Molly threw herself on her son, waking Ariyuki.

"Ken! Oh, Ken! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mama," Ken replied, stepping inside.

"You've put us in a fix, young man," scolded his father. "We were ready to call the police."

Ariyuki yawned and rubbed his eyes, catching both Ken's parent's attention.

"Who's that?" his father asked.

"This is Ariyuki. He's the reason I'm late. Come on, I'll explain everything in the living room."

Once everyone gathered in the living room, Ken told the tale about how he found Ariyuki, and about Ariyuki's strange past and unusual amnesia. He even told them about Ariyuki's near abduction. When he had finished, Molly threw her arms around both Ken and Ariyuki.

"Oh, you poor things! You poor drenched things!" she cried.

"It shouldn't be me you should worry about. It should be Ariyuki. He's been in the rain, crying, all alone for hours," Ken said.

Molly and Cal examined Ariyuki from his wet hair and clothes, to his tired little eyes. Cal even made Ariyuki open his mouth to check for a sore throat, and check his temperature with a thermometer; he had a light fever. Then Molly spoke up. "What this little one needs is a nice warm bath, some hot chocolate, and bed rest. Come along, dear." Molly sheparded Ariyuki into the bathroom where she would be bathing him.

While Ariyuki was soaking in the warm, bubble bath water, Molly untied his braid and began washing his hair. When she had finished, she pulled Ariyuki out of the tub and wrapped a big towel around him. She gently dried him off, they even began playing a pee-a-boo game with the towel, which Ariyuki greatly enjoyed. All the while, Ken and Cal were standing back, watching, chuckling with amusement.

After drying him off, Molly gave Ariyuki a pair of Ken's pajamas (a fuzzy pair with green and blue stripes) which were slightly too big for him, and rolled up the sleeves for him. When they emerged from Ken's bedroom, Ariyuki's cheeks were rosy pink and his hair was neatly done in a fancy braid by Ken's mother.

"Isn't he just the cutest?" Molly asked, picking Ariyuki up, making him giggle in excitement.

"Looks cute to me," said Cal.

"Absolutely," said Ken. 

While Molly began making the hot chocolate for Ken and Ariyuki, the three young men were relaxing on the couch, watching the News, Ariyuki laying his head on Ken's lap. When Ken picked up Ariyuki's long blue hair, he noticed a blue and white cloth holding Ariyuki's braid in. It looked like a torn off piece of something.

"What's this?" Ken asked.

He showed the end of long blue hair to Ariyuki.

"I...don't know," Ariyuki held his braid with the cloth. "I was wearing it when I got here. I remember seeing something on it, though." 

Ariyuki removed the piece of cloth and flattened it out. Ken gasped and stared. On the cloth were two symbols; On the left, the sign of Kindness, his crest symbol, and to the right, a symbol he'd never set eyes on. Below the symbols, in gold thread was writing in a language he'd never seen or heard of. Why would this piece of torn cloth have _his_ crest symbol on it?

"Ariyuki, where'd you get this?" Ken asked.

Ariyuki grabbed the cloth. "Hmm. I don't know...Or I don't remember..." Ariyuki gazed at the cloth, as if recalling something,"...it _does_ seem familiar, but I can't...can't-_Ow_! My head!" Ariyuki dropped the cloth and held his head, gasping in pain.

"_Ariyuki_!" both Ken and his father shouted at the same time. 

Molly came rushing in. "What's wrong with him?"

"We don't know; his head just began hurting!" said Cal.

Then, as soon as Ariyuki began to wail in pain, he stopped. His hands dropped to his sides and his head fell onto Ken's chest as he caught him. He had apparently fainted. Molly sobbed and gathered Ariyuki in her arms.

"What _happened_ to him?" Molly asked, breathless with fear.

Ken and Cal couldn't supply an answer. Then, Ariyuki stirred. His eyes opened slowly and he moaned in an attempt to sit up. Ariyuki stared at everyone, who were gazing at him uncertainly, then broke down and cried.

Molly laughed sympathetically and embraced Ariyuki. "It's alright, dear. You're okay. How's your head, sweety?"

"It hurts," came Ariyuki's muffled reply from Molly's pink cotton shirt.

"Well, we'll fix that, okay?" Molly looked up at Ken and Cal, then back to Ariyuki. "Maybe you should get some sleep, dear?"

"What about me and Ken's hot chocolate?" Ariyuki asked.

"Oh," Molly laughed while tears of gratitude slid down her cheeks, "Of course. Your hot chocolate," she released Ariyuki and bustled back into the kitchen.

Ariyuki turned and put his arms around Ken. Ken placed his hands on Ariyuki's head; it was wet from sweat. _What happened to him_? Ken asked to himself. " You okay?" 

Ariyuki nodded then stared down at the cloth on the floor. Ken did to. "Why d'you think the cloth doesn't want me to remember?" Ariyuki asked.

"What? What are you talking about?" said Ken, laughing slightly, looking down at Ariyuki.

"I could _feel_ something," said Ariyuki. "I don't know what it was, but when I started thinking about the cloth and something else, I felt something grab my head."

Ariyuki could feel the stinging in his head again, and stopped trying to remember the cloth and its history. He grabbed the cloth and tied it back in his hair.

Later, Cal disappeared into Ken's room. Then Molly returned five minutes later with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. She'd even added marshmallows. As Ken drank his mug properly and professionally, something he'd learned to do since he was nine, he looked up and saw Ariyuki mimicking him.

Ken felt somewhat insulted. "What are you doing?" he asked with a tone of annoyance in his voice. 

Ariyuki lowered his own mug. "What?"

"Why are you copying me?"

"I'm not copying you."

"You're drinking the same way I am!" Ken said, almost yelled.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" retorted Ariyuki, "I don't mimic people. It's like cheating." For the first time, Ariyuki showed Ken his face of agitation. It reminded Ken of someone; probably himself.

"I'm sorry," said Ken, staring down at his half empty mug, feeling ashamed. Even if Ariyuki really _did_ mimic him, he was only about ten, and young kids tended to do that. He remembered he used to do that all the time to his departed brother, Sam.

"It's okay," said Ariyuki, returning to his mug as if their quarrel had never happened. When Ariyuki finished the mug, he sighed and crawled over to Ken, laying his head on his lap again. "What're we doing tomorrow?" Ariyuki asked, closing his eyes.

Ken paused. He hadn't thought about what his parents were going to do with Ariyuki the next day. They were probably going to send him to an orphanage. Ken knew this would crush Ariyuki's heart. Ken didn't know why, but he also felt like his own heart would be crushed.

He felt a great need to stay with, and care for Ariyuki. He didn't want to surrender him to someone else. To Ken, Ariyuki was a younger brother, and he'd only known him for a few hours. "I don't know," he replied simply.

"We'll think of somthin'," said Ariyuki, "Maybe go on an adventure and find out what my piece of cloth means."

"Maybe," said Ken, "Or...I could...tickle you all day!" 

Ariyuki laughed hysterically as Ken tickled his stomach and sides. Molly stood in the background, watching, delighted to see Ken so happy. She felt the same for Ariyuki.

In no time at all, Ariyuki retaliated. Gasping for breath, he reached up and found Ken's stomach; Ken had to release Ariyuki in order to grab his little hands. He was way more ticklish than Ariyuki. He had become much more ticklish over the years. Just then, Ken's father stepped into the living room.

"All finished!" he said proudly.

"'All finished' what, Dad?" asked Ken.

"Well, ever since your brother, you know, passed away, I never thought we'd use his bottom part of the bunk bed. So I took it down. Well, now that Ariyuki's staying with us tonight, I decided to put my manly skills to work." said Cal, flexing his invisible muscles. "The bed's all ready for ya, Ariyuki."

"So that means a cute little someone needs to go to bed," sang Molly.

"Okay," said Ariyuki, jumping off the couch.

"I'll come with him," said Ken.

Once Ariyuki entered Ken's room and saw his bed, he walked wearily over to it, as if it were too good to be true. Then he caught sight of Wormmon sitting on Ken's top bunk.

"Wow! Can I sleep with this?" Ariyuki reached up for Wormmon, but Ken, seeing Wormmon's face of fright, got to him first and swept him up.

"Nope," said Ken, trying to sound playfully selfish. "This is my favorite stuffed toy. I-uh-keep him to myself."

Ariyuki gave a half curious, half suspicious look as if he thought, or _knew _Ken was hiding something. "Oh, okay." Ariyuki climbed onto the bed and under the blankets. 

Ken dug around his closet until he finally found his old teddy bear. He gave it to Ariyuki. "This is Mister Snuggles," said Ken. "Take good care of him, and be nice."

Ariyuki giggled. " Kay."

Ken hugged Ariyuki good-night, then shut off the lights, and shut the door. At that moment, Ariyuki shrieked with terror. In panic, Ken swung the door back open and turned on the lights. "What's wrong?" he asked in alarm.

Ariyuki looked petrified, his eyes gigantic, and squeezing Mr. Snuggles so tight, his eyes began to bulge. Ken stifled a laugh.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" he asked in amusement.

Ariyuki nodded his head with difficulty. 

"Alright, I'll leave the door cracked."

"Thank you," said Ariyuki, almost in tears.

Ken giggled to himself as he shut the door, leaving a small crack of light for Ariyuki, so he could keep his nightmares and monsters at bay.

"What happened?" Molly asked once Ken reentered the living room.

"Nothing; Ariyuki's afraid of the dark," replied Ken, "So I left the door cracked."

"Poor little guy," said Cal, deep in his thoughts. "To think he was all alone in that part of the city for hours; raining, dangerous criminals and whores everywhere-Ken, I'm willing to bet that if you didn't take Ariyuki home, he'd probably be dead and left in the streets by now!"

"Cal, please!" squealed Molly, "Don't think about such things! Ariyuki is safe in bed now."

"_Now_," said Ken, "but what about tomorrow? What will we do with Ariyuki tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure," said Cal. "We could send to the Cinako Orphanage on Ola-"

"No!" interjected Ken, "We can't send him there! He'll be scared out of his wits! And how do you think he'd feel about us just leaving him there?"

"What else can we do, Ken?" inquired his father.

Out of frustrated rage, and feeling as though he were talking to an idiot, Ken banged his fists on the coffee table. "_Anything else_!" 

"_Ken_!" Molly cried out of alarm. "Both of you, calm down! This isn't something to fight about," Molly cleared her throat, "I think Ariyuki should stay with us."

Ken kept his excited smile to himself with Cal dropped his jaw, "Molly, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Ariyuki should remain in our care. There's no one else he'll stay with and you know it!"

"Well, he might not love us so if you hadn't spoiled him so much!"

"I didn't spoil him!" cried Molly (Ken hushing them to keep their voices down in case Ariyuki woke up). "I cleaned him, and gave him love and attention! That's what all children need, Cal!"

"What about Ken, huh? Did ya think about Ken at all while you were pampering that boy? Do you really think he wants you totally ignoring him like you did when Sam became totally famous?" Cal was standing up, his rage seemed boundless. When Molly trembled with fright, Cal sat back down, breathing slowly, "I'm sorry, Molly, but we just can't adopt a child off the streets."

Why not? It worked in "_Annie_", though Ken, gazing at his quarreling parents.

"I am _not_ sending him to a place where there's no guarantee that he'll find a family that loves him!" yelled Molly, "_I_ love him! I want him to stay here in my care, where he'll be nurtured for and taught about life the right way!" 

"I think mom's right," said Ken softly. "I too care about Ariyuki, like a little brother. I want to care for him and take responsibility for him, like Sam did for me."

Both Cal and Molly stared at their son and the wise words he just spoke. "Then I guess this discussion is over," said Cal, taking a deep sigh. "But before we can take legal custody, I'll have to take him to the hospital for a checkup, then City Hall to sign the custody papers."

If Ken hadn't been raised properly, he'd be jumping around the room in joy like a maniac. Instead, he smiled, bowed gracefully, thanked his father, then sauntered into his room, shutting the door. In silence, to not disturb Ariyuki, Ken removed his dirty school clothes, pulled on his blue and white pajamas, then climbed the ladder to Ken's top bunk. Pulling the blankets over himself, he awoke Wormmon, who yawned almost too loudly.

"Where have you been, Ken?" he asked, wiping sleepy tears away.

"Just a family meeting," said Ken. He picked up Wormmon, and tilted him over the edge of the bed until Ken was sure Wormmon could see Ariyuki. "See him?" he asked.

"Yeah? Is he staying the night?"

"Only forever." said Ken, "That's my new little brother you're looking at."

Wormmon tilted his head curiously at Ariyuki. When Ken pulled him back, Wormmon asked, "Ken? Do you intend on telling him about me?"

"Yeah," said Ken, "But I'm gonna wait a while. I want him to get used to his new home first. _Then_ I'll introduce you. You're gonna love him, Wormmon; he's kind, adorable, innocent, and gentle."

"Kinda like you," whispered Wormmon, curling up on Ken's chest like some sort of twelve legged cat, and closing his eyes.

"I wish," murmured Ken, smiling to himself as he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.


	2. Ch2: Mysteries in The Digital World

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Kailomon/Midori, Kii (more to come in future chapters). I don't own any of the Digidestined or their parents. I know their real Japanese names like Hikari, Daisuke, etc. but I know how to spell their American names better. By the way, thanks to a certain someone's help, I realized that I spelled Yolei's name wrong. I've gone over and hopefully spelled them all right. By the way, I think I spelled Uzulongmon's name right. If I didn't, please let me know.

A Lost Darkness: Chapter 2

Mysteries in The Digital World

_Born from Darkness in the Light, the child exists in shadow_

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight

Yet know he not the road is long, and should he stray from right

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night...

Since it was the weekend Ken could sleep as late as he wanted, but the smell of his mother's cooking pancakes, eggs, and bacon slowly and pleasantly woke him up. _I wish I had an alarm clock like this_, he thought as he stretched his arms and legs, dislodging Wormmon from his chest, causing him to wake up. 

"Careful, Mommy," he muttered, still half-asleep.

_It must have just been a dream_, Ken thought, staring at the ceiling. _I met a young look-alike named Ariyuki who was gonna be my little brother from now on_... 

Ken yawned and climbed down his ladder and stared. There was the bottom bunk from where Ariyuki had slept. Excited, like it was Christmas, Ken dashed out of his bedroom, through the short hall (with various pictures of him and his family), and into the kitchen. There, helping his mother stir the remaining pancake batter, was Ariyuki.

Ken grinned excitedly and snuck on tiptoes toward the unsuspecting chefs. With a sudden "Boo!" Ken grabbed Ariyuki's and his mother's shoulders, causing his mother to flinch, and Ariyuki the jump and yelp.

"Well, I'm glad you're awake, Ken," said Molly, grasping her heart.

"Mor-ning!" sang Ariyuki, pushing back his extra long sleeves and standing on his tiptoes, stirring the batter with a gigantic spoon.

"Breakfast smells great, Mom!" announced Ken, ambling over to the table, where he sat down.

"Thank you, dear," said Molly, blowing a kiss to her son.

"Can we go play today?" Ariyuki asked his mother, tugging at her apron. 

"Why don't you ask Ken, honey?" replied Molly, bending down and landing a kiss on Ariyuki's cheek.

"Kay." He trotted over to Ken, who glanced at him from his cup of orange juice. "Can we go outside and play today?" Ariyuki pleaded, his hands clasped together, and his shiny eyes gigantic; Yep, Yolei would _definitely_ fall for Ariyuki's eyes.

Ken ruffled Ariyuki's hair, "Sure. I'll take you to Keichoe's Ice Cream Parlor today, alright?"

"Okay!" Ariyuki jumped in the air, squealing with delight, then ran into Ken's room, his arms outstretched like he was flying.

Ken gazed behind him. Out through the sliding porch window the sun was shining brightly; through the blinding radiance, he could barely make out a sky the same color of Ariyuki's hair. The sun shining through the window casted a bright set of rainbows all over the living room walls. According to Molly, Ariyuki was pretending to catch them earlier. Though Ariyuki had only been in their household for the night, he already brought joy and laughter to his new family; Molly informed Ken that his father told Ariyuki the good news this morning, adding on to the youngling's playful energy.

Molly walked over to the table and placed a large plate full of pancakes, eggs, and bacon in front of Ken. She then set the salt and peppershakers and syrup on a cloth in the middle of the table.

"Ariyuki, honey! Your breakfast is ready!"

Ariyuki ran back in, sliding to a stop in front of the table on the sleek kitchen floor with his little white socks. He was dressed in the same set of clothes as yesterday; a pair of gray slacks with a white shirt (it was impossible tell if it was long sleeved or short), and a long gray jacket with long cuffed sleeves. Molly had obviously washed them, because there wasn't a big black spot on his shoulder from God knows what. 

When breakfast was finished, Ken strolled into his room, Ariyuki pushing from behind. He pulled off his pajamas, then slipped on a pair of sandy brown khakis, a white T-shirt, and a pair of white socks; he was going to dress lightly today. The twins (if you call them that) then walked to the front door, said good-bye to their mother, slipped on their black shoes, then walked out the door. They had just started down the concrete apartment stairs when Ken realized he left his wallet inside.

"Dang! Hang on a second, Ariyuki. I'll be right out."

Ken rushed back inside and grabbed his brown leather wallet. He had just grabbed the door handle when-

"Oh, hang on just a second. Ken, honey! Phone's for you!" Molly called for Ken from the living room couch.

"Oh, _no_," Ken muttered to himself, turning back around to the living room. "Who is it?" 

"It's your friend, Davis."

_No_, he thought. _Not now_!_ Can't I do anything without him calling me_?! 

Molly handed Ken the phone then sauntered into her room. Ken sighed, then reluctantly put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Ken_! _Now if you tell me you can't go anywhere, the gang and I all agreed to march over there and drag you out_!_ You avoided us yesterday, then didn't even bother to call us today_!"

Thinking quickly, Ken said, "I'm sorry. I told you yesterday; I had a _ton_ of homework." Not wanting to offend his friend, he added, "but I'm all done now, though-"

"_Great_! _Everyone's going to the park_! _We'll meet ya there_!"

"But-"

"_See ya, Ken_!" and Davis hung up.

"Damn," muttered Ken. He sighed, massaged his neck, then trudged back outside. "Sorry, little buddy, but it looks like we won't be able to get some ice cream yet."

"Oh," fiddling with his braid, he timidly asked, "Why?"

"Because, the second I grab my wallet, my...friend called. His name is Davis and he wants me to go meet him and the others at the park. We'll be going there instead."

"Okay!" Ariyuki was still thrilled. "I don't remember me ever going to a park."

"Speaking of remember," said Ken, "Could you remember _anything_ of what happened before you got here?" He watched intently as Ariyuki strained his mind.

"No," he said, squinting his eyes and rummaging around in his memory. "Nothing...except I was...floating...And I was so-so cold..."Ariyuki's head drooped. He seemed lost in his memory. Suddenly, he shot his head up to the sky and cried, "_Help me, someone_!"

Growing hot with panic, Ken shook Ariyuki back into reality. "Ariyuki, it's alright!" he knelt down and embraced Ariyuki.

"I was so cold," he whispered in Ken's ear.

"It's alright. It's okay now." Ken wiped the forming tears in Ariyuki's eyes away and smiled. "Let's go to the park now, alright?"

Tears still shining, Ariyuki grinned and took Ken's hand.

After making a few blocks progress, Ariyuki looked up and said, "Ken, what are your other friend's names?"

"Hmm, well, there's Kari, she's really sweet. Then there's T.K.; he can lift anyone's spirit up. Davis, I told you about him; he's annoying at times, but he's a laugh riot whenever he does silly things, and he does that _a lot_. There's Cody, he's nice, but quiet and shy around others.'

"Yolei, huh; she's somthin' else. If you start a fight with her, she'll carry it out to the bitter end, and is the _loudest_ girl I've ever seen!" Ken glanced down at Ariyuki, who was giggling.

"Your friends sound nice," he said.

"They are-Oh! Here we are!"

Ken steered Ariyuki into the park with no name. It was one of the smaller, more pleasant parks; two swing sets, a large slide, a merry-go-round, and a few picnic tables. Sitting on one of them, were all of Ken's friends; Yolei with her soft pink hair and round glasses; Davis with his brown-red hair and goggles (the sight of him made Ariyuki giggle); young Cody who had big green eyes and dull brown hair; Kari, who wore her usual pink shirt and gloves, yellow shorts, and put a clip in her short mouse brown hair; and T.K. with his bucket hat covering his short blond hair. Ken noticed they all brought their Digimon.

They all greeted Ken with waves.

"Hiya, Ken! C'mon and sit down!" cried Yolei.

Ken blushed then moved closer. Davis stared down at Ken's feet. "Hey, Ken," he said, "I never knew you had four feet."

"Huh?" Ken glanced behind him; Ariyuki was hiding from the others; clearly he was the shy type. "I don't," said Ken. He grasped little Ariyuki's arm, then pulled him out from behind. "Guys, this is Ariyuki." 

Everyone stared at Ken's little look-alike.

"Wow, Ken! A little you!" declared Davis.

"Shut up, Davis!" said Yolei, shoving Davis off the picnic table to get a better look at Ariyuki. Just as Ken suspected, Yolei leapt off the table, and swept the youngling up. "Look at this little cutie! Oh, he has the cutest blue eyes! Look at this hair! He's so cute!"

Ariyuki laughed with enjoyment; he loved to get attention, and this funny haired girl was giving him it by the truckload. Ken finally managed to wrench Ariyuki from Yolei's grip.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ariyuki," Kari had come up to say hello. "My, he _is_ cute."

Davis growled behind Kari's back. His girl was going for a _small fry_! 

Ariyuki glanced at Gatomon sitting on the table. "Wow! What a cool kitty!" Ariyuki stroked Gatomon's back. She began to purr with enjoyment.

Kari glanced at Ken uncertainly. "As long as he thinks she's a cat." he said simply.

Cody and T.K. were next to shake hands with Ariyuki. "Where'd ya meet him?" T.K. asked.

Ken's face went dark. "I'll tell ya guys later," he said. "Right now I promised to take Ariyuki to Keichoe's."

"_Great_! We'll all come with you!" Davis announced.

So, the group of Digidestined and the youth, Ariyuki set off for the Ice Cream Parlor. Ken bought Ariyuki a chocolate marshmallow shake and himself a vanilla cone. Sitting at the umbrella shaded ice cream table, Ariyuki slurping his malt placidly, the group discussed their next adventure.

"I say we go to _You-Know-Where_. Have a picnic and stuff," suggested Yolei.

"What's _You-Know-Where_?" asked Ariyuki, curiously interested, sipping on his straw.

"It's this place we all go to," said Kari, trying not to give The Digital World away. "It's just for the six of us. Kinda like a club. You see?"

"Wow. Can I come too?" Ariyuki asked Ken.

Ken choked on his ice cream. "What?"

"Can I come too?"

"Ummm-I'm not so sure, Ariyuki-"

"Huddle!" said T.K.

The six kids gathered 'round each other, blocking Ariyuki from earshot. 

"We can't just let him come with us! You know what Uzulongmon said: 'No one, except the Digidestined can ever enter the Digital World again!' He said it was to keep the Digital World safe!" informed Cody.

"Yeah, but the other Digidestined around the world gave up their Digivices just to be safe," Ken reminded them. "I don't think it's a threat to let one little boy in!"

"Yeah, but 'one little boy' could cause _One Big problem_!" said Yolei.

"Well, what would it hurt?" asked Kari. "He's Ken's friend and a trustworthy friend at that. I say we give him a little chance. Right, Davis?"

Davis went red. "Of course. Ariyuki's coming." he said, letting his affection for Kari do the talking.

"Then it's agreed," said T.K. "Ariyuki's coming with us!"

"Yeah! C'mon, little buddy! You're comin' with us!" Ken told Ariyuki. Ariyuki leapt of his seat and grabbed Ken's hand.

"So, where is this place?" Ariyuki asked as they made for Davis's house. His house was the closest.

"You'll see," said Ken. "You'll love it. It's a beautiful place."

"Yeah," said Demiveemon before anyone could shut him up. "There's a forest, a desert, a snow land, and even a few restaurants here and there."

Everyone glared at Demiveemon. "Demiveemon, you blabbermouth!" Yolei scolded.

"Wow! You must be a friend of Wormmon!" said Ariyuki, causing everyone to stare at him.

"How do you know about Wormmon?" asked Ken.

"I woke up really early this morning," said Ariyuki. "I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't, but your toy talked. At first I thought I was still half-asleep, so I shook Wormmon. When he finally woke up, we had a little chat for a while. He told me all about Demiveemon, Hawkmon, and all the others. Then daddy came in the room and told me all about how I am now a part of the family and your little brother!"

The other five kids came to a halt and gaped at Ariyuki and Ken. 

"You never told us you got a new little brother!" exclaimed Cody.

"I'm sorry," said Ken frantically, "I just didn't know when to tell you!"

"Well, ya might as well start spilling the story on how you found Ariyuki," said T.K.

Ken sighed, preparing to tell them the tiring story about finding Ariyuki in the rain, the cloth, and Ariyuki's strange amnesia. When he had finished, the others had their mouths open.

"And Ariyuki doesn't remember a _thing_?" asked Kari, closing her jaw.

"Not a thing." said Ken, his voice somewhat hoarse from talking.

"Hmm, I think it's strange how Ariyuki looks so much like you, Ken," said Yolei, looking down at Ariyuki, then at Ken, then back to Ariyuki.

"What I'm concerned about is the cloth," said T.K. "I mean, your head just began to hurt?" he asked Ariyuki.

"Yeah," said Ariyuki. "I was thinking about the cloth, then a flash of two figures entered my head, but only for second. That's when my head began to hurt."

"Also, this afternoon," said Ken, "Ariyuki was remembering what happened before he got here. He said he was floating, and really cold. Then he screamed for help."

"Ya know what I'm worried about?" budded in Davis. "Finding something to eat. I'm starving!"

"You pig!" yelled Yolei. " You _just_ ate ice cream! How could you _possibly_ still be hungry?!"

"I'm not as much of a pig as you are, Yolei!" retorted Davis.

"Uh, guys. We're here!" announced Ken, successfully breaking up the argument. 

Davis's apartment was smaller than Ken's, and his room was a mess. Even Ariyuki (who didn't mind messes) winced at the sight of it. Davis walked proudly over some of his old socks, shirts, and a pair of underwear, and turned on his computer monitor. He put his Digivice (Ken explained the Digivices to Ariyuki already) to the screen, and a little TV-like picture appeared that displayed a field of a variety of flowers.

"Wow, is that The Digital World?" Ariyuki asked, staring into the little picture.  
"Only part of it," said Ken. "Hang on tight." He grabbed Ariyuki's hand and held it tightly.

"Let's go!" everyone shouted.

The next thing Ariyuki knew, he was surround by a blinding light. This, however was only the beginning of Ariyuki's strange sensation; now he was grasping Ken's hand and flying, or falling through a whirl of colors; he could even hear the wind rush passed his ears, and looking back, he noticed his long braid flying behind and whipping around, striking Cody in the face a few times. "Sorry!" he shouted, but could barely hear his own voice. Ken and the others had grown used to this and even enjoyed it.

Just when Ariyuki thought he was going to be sick from the churning in his stomach, his feet made contact with ground. He lost his balance, though, and fell over. The soothing fragrance of tulips brought him back to reality. Holding his head, Ariyuki stood up.

He drew a sharp intake of breath as he gazed around; all around him were flowers over just about every color, except black, and the combined scent of them smelled wonderful. Surrounding the fields of flowers was a large forest that seemed to circle them completely. Far into the distance, he could see mountains that were misty blue and snowcapped. The air was fresh and pure with a gentle breeze, and he sighed with he feeling like he just got home.

"I told you this place was gorgeous," said Ken abruptly, startling Ariyuki. 

When Ariyuki turned around, he stared in wonder at his friends. Most of them were wearing different outfits; while T.K. and Kari, wore the same set of clothes, Davis, Cody, Yolei, and Ken were all wearing completely different garments. Davis's main feature was his fire embedded jacket. Yolei was now wearing red stirrup pants, a blue long sleeved shirt, gloves and a helmet (thought Ariyuki didn't know why). Cody now wore a sandy brown long sleeved shirt and brownish-red pants. 

His own brother, Ken was now wearing his gray school uniform, badges and all.

"What happened to _you_ guys?" he asked.

"These are our Digital Outfits," explained Yolei. "What d'ya think? Do I look cool?"

Ariyuki really didn't want to answer that.

"Well, let's give the kid a tour!" said Davis, marching forward.

"You'll love it here," Kari told Ariyuki. "These flowers are heavenly, and there's also the Digimon Nursery; we'll take you there, too. The restaurants here are to die for and-" Kari stopped, noticing Ariyuki was behind them. He had come to a halt in front of a group of lilacs. He dropped to his knees and put his nose to them.

"What's wrong with Ariyuki?" Cody asked.

"Is everything alright?" said Ken, sauntering over to Ariyuki.

"I know this smell," Ariyuki said, continuing to stare at the purple flowers, as though enchanted. "I don't know how, but I do." he closed his eyes, "...A garden...a forest...stream..._Ah_!" Ariyuki clenched his hair, shrieking in pain once more. Everyone ran over to his aid.

"Ariyuki!" Ken shouted. "Ariyuki, snap out of it!" 

"Oh, Ariyuki!" Kari cried.

Ariyuki released his head, then gazed wearily upward at Ken, looking as though he were about to faint. "I saw him again," he said raucously. "One of the two people I saw last night."

"Who?" Ken asked.

"He was standing among the lilacs, reaching out to me," Ariyuki continued.

"Who? Who was it?" T.K. persisted.

Ariyuki let his head fall. "I don't know," he moaned, his shoulders shaking. He was crying. "I could only see an outline. The rest was just shadow. His hair seemed frizzy." He looked back up, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"It's alright, Ariyuki," Ken and Kari told him.

Kari pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. "I rarely find a boy who can cry and look adorable." she hugged Ariyuki lovingly. Davis turned red behind her.

"Hey, if you're not careful, Davis, Kari might end up going out with Ariyuki over there," T.K. joked, laughing.

"What?! No way!" said Davis.

"It sure looks that way," teased Yolei.

Kari blushed. "Don't be silly. I'm not going out with anyone. And I _can't_ go out with Ariyuki. He's too little."

"What's age gotta do with it?" asked Cody.

Ariyuki and Davis were not enjoying themselves. Both boys were red in the cheeks. Ariyuki, out of embarrassment, and Davis, out of rage. Ariyuki retreated behind Ken, while Kari and Ken giggled. "So cute," said Kari.

The seven children set off toward the forest, Ken watching Ariyuki apprehensively, frightened Ariyuki might try to remember something again. After an hour of trudging, climbing, and chattering, they found a familiar clearing where a small hill lay in front of them. 

"We've almost made it to the Digimon Nursery," stated Ken to Ariyuki. "Just over this hill."

The seven of them slowly climbed the slightly steep knoll without difficulty. When they emerged to the top, Ariyuki gazed down and gasped. There seemed to be a playground at the end of the hill. Looking closely, he could see little baskets dotted everywhere. "Wow!" he said, "Is that the Digimon Nursery?"

"Yup!" said Davis, proudly, pointing down toward the rubber playground.

"All Digimon are born here," said Yolei.

"Even the bad ones?" asked Ariyuki.

"I'm...pretty sure." said Ken.

"What makes a bad Digimon bad?" he continued.

"Well...I'm not sure how to answer that," said Ken. "I suppose that some virus Digimon get the idea that he's all evil and should start acting like it. Kinda like me when I got-" he caught himself just in time. He didn't want to reveal to Ariyuki the kind of person he was a few months ago. A terror to the Digital World.

He remembered he wore that ridiculous outfit, spiked his hair, wore sunglasses, and called himself the Digimon Emperor. He recalled bitterly when he use to enslave Digimon with Dark Rings and watched them fight for his entertainment. He would abuse his own Digimon, Wormmon, and try constantly to kill the Digidestined. Davis noticed the bitter look on Ken's face, and tried to sidetrack Ariyuki.

"Well, lets get goin' down there! We aren't gettin' any younger standin' here!" He charged down the hill, the others behind him, Ken in dead last. Ariyuki overrode Davis and ran past him. He regretted this. The second he stepped foot on the green floor, he bounced ten feet in the air; Davis and the others had failed to inform Ariyuki that the floor was made of rubber. Ken managed to grasp Ariyuki's leg before he flew even higher.

"This place is so cool!" exclaimed Ariyuki. "What's over there?" he ran over to a basket and peeked inside. Inside was a red little head with bumps on top. A baby Digimon. "Aww," Ariyuki cooed, "he's so cute."

"Not a _he_, a _she_." grunted a voice behind Ariyuki. He jumped and spun around. The Digimon Nursery caretaker, Elecmon, stood in front of him and began shooing Ariyuki away from the cooing Digimon. Looking at Ariyuki, he added, "Oh, great. The last thing I need now is _another _Digimon Emperor in this world!"

"Who?" asked Ariyuki.

"He's not another Digimon Emperor!" said Ken, hurriedly, pulling Ariyuki behind him. "He's just a little friend of ours."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Emperor Boy. Just keep your poisonous offspring away from the babies!" and he stalked away.

"What a rude, rude Digimon," said Ariyuki, staring after him. "Why did he call you that?" he added, looking up at Ken.

Ken didn't want to tell Ariyuki the truth, but he had no choice now. He sighed, his body tingling with fear. What would Ariyuki think of him? "Ariyuki, a long time ago-well, a few months ago- I was..._bad_. Very bad. Almost evil."

"What did you do?"

"I would terrorize The Digital World. Enslave as many Digimon as I could, and even tried to kill the Digidestined."

"Why?" Ariyuki asked, gazing at Ken.

"In a sense, I was controlled. Something bad was in me; in my head. Even still, I had partial control of myself, which makes it half my fault. I even treated my own Digimon like dirt. I won't deny, though, I paid for what I did."

"I even lost my best friend for a while. My friends finally brought me out of the Darkness, but it was a long and painful process." Ken kept his head down as if he didn't deserve to look Ariyuki in the eyes.

The other Digidestined gazed at the two, hoping Ariyuki wouldn't be too angry, disgusted, or upset. However, much to even Ken's amazement, Ariyuki wrapped his arms around his waist. He looked up and smiled. "Thanks for telling me that," he said. "Now I know why you're as quiet and lonely as you are. I wish none of that had ever happened to you."

Ken drew a shuddering breath and began to cry. He hugged Ariyuki tightly, uncaring that the other were watching. "So do I," he sobbed.

"Well, I hate to break up the love fest," said Davis, "but we came here for a good time, not a soap opera."

"Right, right," said Ken, standing up. "C'mon, Ariyuki. I wanna show you the Digi Eggs." He took Ariyuki's hand and toured him around the Digimon Nursery. Ariyuki was very thrilled with the gigantic blocks (which were also rubber) and the trees with toys in them. Ken called them Toy Trees. After a while, Ken's friends called for him to climb with them to the top of one of the blocks; he left Ariyuki at the Egg Fields upon his request. 

Ariyuki trekked through the sea of eggs, making sure he didn't step on any. Every Digi Egg had its own design. Some were so interesting that Ariyuki bent down to get a closer look. After watching three hatch, Ariyuki made toward the forest of gigantic blocks to be with his friends. Then he heard it; a small, very faint voice from somewhere.

He turned back 'round and began searching for the disembodied voice, knowing he was being stupid. He was following a voice he could barely hear, and couldn't see who or what was causing it. After a while, he realized the voice was louder to the ground; it must be coming from one of the eggs. Now that he was closer, he could make out bits and pieces of what the voice was saying; like static: _I feel you...please hel...find me..._

What in the world was going on? The voice began growing softer. He was having more trouble hearing it. Out of desperation, he called for it. "_Where are you_? _I can't hear you anymore_!" The tired, dying voice spoke up.

_I'm here_... Though he could still barely hear it, he knew the voice was somewhere to the left of him. 

"Please keep talking!" he shouted.

_I can't_.

"You must! You must try! I'm close to you. Do you hear me? I'm so close! Don't give up!"

_So tired...Ever since I felt you here, I've been...calling. I...I can't anymore. My friend, please find me. I...I won't...make it..._

Startled, knowing what the voice meant, Ariyuki began running through the eggs, searching for something, _anything_. As he ran past one egg, he stopped. _What was that_? He backtracked until his shadow was over the Digi Egg he passed.

Under his dark shadow, he could make out a faint blue glow. It was so weak that it was impossible to see in the sunlight. The design on the egg looked familiar, but he didn't have time to ponder. He snatched up the egg and it immediately shone a very bright blue.

When the light disappeared, he noticed his trembling hands weren't holding an egg anymore. It was now holding a small, cat-like creature. Its body was green and its eyes were big and crystal blue. There was a purple ring from its nose, all the way around its mouth.

Its four paws were pink, and there was a purple ring around the end of its fluffy tail. It had a small patch of pink fur on the top of its head. Ariyuki could feel it shake from exhaustion. It looked up and smiled. "Thank you for finding me. I was so tired...I didn't think I was gonna make it." It had a high-pitch, girlish voice.

"How _did_ you make it?" Ariyuki asked. "Your voice was so quiet and soft. I thought you had died. I was so scared."

"Well, if you had found me any later, I _would _have died. But when I hatched, I borrowed some of your energy," when it saw Ariyuki checking himself, it added quickly, "Not enough for you to notice; just enough so I could survive."

"Oh," gazing at the Digimon, he realized it looked familiar. "Um, what's your name?"

"My name is Kailomon. And in case you're wondering, I'm a girl."

"I kinda figured that," said Ariyuki.

"Not to mention, I'm your Digital Partner!" it added proudly.

"_What_?" Ariyuki inquired, stunned. 

"Yup! _Your _Digital Partner!" 

"I can't be your partner! There's no way! I'd have to be a Digidestined, and I'm _not_!"

"Uh, huh?" said Kailomon. "Well, Ariyuki, I _really_ liked your gray outfit, but I _much_ more prefer the white one you're wearing now." she grinned.

Ariyuki looked down at himself and jumped up. In place of his gray jacket was a royal white one with the softest material he'd ever felt. His shirt was also white, but his pants were light blue like his hair. They weren't jeans or khakis; he'd never felt this material before, but he really loved it. His shoes were black, and he noticed a blue stone at the collar of his neck.

"You see?" said Kailomon, "Only a Digidestined can just pick up a Digi Egg and make it hatch (especially with its partner) , and _only_ when a Digidestined finds its Digital Partner can it wish for a different outfit. You _are _a Digidestined! Isn't this great?"

"But, I don't-I don't have a Digivice or anything." said Ariyuki, "Every Digidestined needs one."

"Ariyuki, you have to _find _those. Didn't your friends tell you this?"

"How did you know I have friends here?" he asked.

"I could hear them. I could hear you talking to them. They're a funny bunch, they are." 

"Wow," Ariyuki couldn't believe this. He was so full of energy and excitement. He had to show Kailomon to his friends. "Kailomon, I want you to come see my friends. I think you'll like them."

"I _know_ I will!" she leapt up onto Ariyuki's shoulder, sitting straight and tall. "Onward, Partner!"

"You're kidding!"

"No way!"

"Where'd ya find it?"

"I've never seen a Digimon like that."

"What a cute outfit!"

"I can't believe you're a Digidestined too!"

The other Digidestined were all pressing close to Ariyuki, trying to get a better look at Kailomon. Ariyuki held her close. All of this attention over one Digimon was frightening. 

"All we need to do now is find your Digivice. I'm so proud of you, Ariyuki! Mom will be too!" said Ken. He ruffled Ariyuki's hair.

"What's your name?" Kari asked politely.

"Kailomon," she said. "I'm Ariyuki's destined partner!" she puffed up her chest with pride, "And I'll be taking care of him!"

"Looks like Ariyuki has a mentor," Yolei whispered to everyone.

"So, how _did_ you find Kailomon?" asked Davis, barely an inch away from Kailomon's face.

"I found her in a Digi Egg," said Ariyuki, backing away from Davis in alarm. "She was so weak, I thought she was gonna die. The designs on her egg looked familiar; like a blooming rose with a strange symbol on it."

"Blooming rose?" Ken dished around in his pocket until his fingers grasped something small and rectangular. He withdrew his Crest of Kindness and showed it to Ariyuki. "This? Did the symbol look like this?"

Ariyuki squinted. "Yeah! And now that I think about it, the same symbol on my cloth!" 

"And ya know," said T.K. "Kailomon _does_ look an awful lot like Wormmon-"

"Except she's a cat and he's a caterpillar," Cody finished.

"I know about Wormmons," said Kailomon, standing on Ariyuki's shoulder. "Green, like me, with the same markings all over. It's strange, but I think I can recall a past life. A life before I died...maybe. It's all mixed up into one big beating, though." She had the same lost-in-her-thoughts look, just like Ariyuki whenever he tried to remember something. She was disrupted, however, by Cody and his distracting thought.

"I wonder what she'll Digivolve into."

"Maybe a big, green cat with wings and horns!" suggested Davis.

Kailomon hissed. "I sincerely doubt it, fool! I am _not_ something to tease!"

"Strong willed," said T.K., impressed. "She'll Digivolve into a _strong_ Digimon! I'd take good care of her if I were you, Ariyuki."

"It's okay, Kailomon. Davis was only joking," said Ariyuki, stroking her arched back. He then gazed around. "Where's Yolei?"

They all looked around. She was no where in sight. Then- 

"Hey guys! Sorry I ran off. Elecmon made us a little surprise!" she held up a basket. "Picnic goodies! We can all dine right here!"

"I know a better place," said Kailomon, "I don't know how, but I do. Follow me!" She leapt off Ariyuki's shoulder and trotted forward, her fluffy tail straight up. The others shrugged, then followed her.

Kailomon had finally stopped in front of a swift, not to deep stream. There were apple trees outlining the forest they had just came out of. Ariyuki leaned against one and slid down, sighing. The sound of the running stream was soothing and soon everyone was sitting under the pleasant shade of an apple tree.

"This place _does_ seem familiar," said Ken, glancing around. "I know! This is where Wormmon and I use to hang out when I was the Digimon Emperor and not too corrupt. Those were pretty good times."

"I can't see how good of a time you can have when you're dark and evil," muttered Cody, causing Ken to stare at his knees. 

Ariyuki frowned at Cody in disapproval. He knew about Cody and his problem with Ken and his past, but that was no reason to get on his case _now_. "Ya know, you can be Dark and not Evil," he murmured hotly to Cody.

"What are you talking about?" retorted Cody. "Darkness and Evil go together like macaroni and cheese!"

"That doesn't mean someone's all evil just because they may have some Darkness in them! You have no right talking to Ken like that!" He was standing and looking as if one more bad word would set him off. Cody seemed not to notice this.

"And how would _you_ know this? You can't even remember when you were born!" Cody shoved Ariyuki. Ariyuki countered and threw Cody against a tree. Ken and Davis had to separate them immediately. 

After the fight, Cody and Ariyuki weren't looking or speaking to each other. Ariyuki thought Cody was being way to judgmental on people, while Cody was convinced that Ariyuki was working for dark Digimon.

"It's alright, Ariyuki. Cody was just speaking his mind," said Ken, reassuringly.

"That's not much of an excuse," snarled Kailomon. "Doesn't that _baby_ know to hold unpleasant words on that repulsive tongue of his?"

"Now that's enough! We should all be friends, here," said Cody's Digimon, Armadillomon.

"Yes, exactly. You two fighting won't make this picnic any more enjoyable," came Hawkmon's British voice.

"He's right," admitted Cody. "I'm sorry, Ariyuki. I didn't mean to offend you, or Ken."

"You should be," snapped Kailomon.

"Kailomon," Ariyuki mumbled. "I'm sorry too," he held out his hand and Cody shook it.

"Right, well now that that's settled, I think I hear some fish calling my name," said Gatomon.

The feast then began. Kari, Ken, and Davis were all enjoying sesame chicken, while Cody and T.K. snacked on rice cakes. Yolei and her Digimon companion were bolting down sushi. Hawkmon wrapped his feathery fingers around the last one when Kailomon grabbed the other end with her teeth.

"Hey, I had it first! Give it back, you little thief!" He snapped his beak over the other half and the tug-a-war began. 

Behind them all, too absorbed in his cloth to care for eating, Ariyuki sat under a full-grown apple tree. _I wonder where I came from. I wish someone could help me_, he gazed at his brother who was laughing with his friends. _He saved me from danger, but he can't help me. He doesn't even know where I came from_. He sat up then silently wandered away from his friends, to a lonely stream deep into the forest. It seemed to suit him fine. A lonely stream and a lonely boy.

He watched the water run slowly and strangely, _sadly_ through the trees. He watched ripples appear as tears fell into the stream. "Can't someone help me?" he asked the water. His breathing was uneven and he began to gasp in frustration. "_Someone help me_!_ Who am I_? Am I nothing more than a phantom of a child, fighting hopelessly to find out who I am, or am I something special and important? _Tell me_!" He slapped the water then cried into his knees. "Why won't someone tell me?" he whispered. He was too weak to scream anymore. Now that he came to think about it, he was very tired.

He could barely feel himself fall on his back. He was drowning in weariness. The last thing he saw before passing out was the cloudy gray sky.

_Ariyuki, don't give in to Darkness. Don't let sadness consume your heart. Open your eyes, dear._

A gentle voice sounded around him. His eyes opened slowly at first, then his surroundings shocked him so much that they shot open. All around him was black, but looking down, he seemed to be standing on water, his shoes not even drenched. There were waterfalls all around him, but not swift and furious waterfalls. These were slow falling and gentle; the glistening blue of the water shone a mystic purple in some places.

"Ariyuki, are you afraid?"

He looked up for the first time and saw a beautiful woman before him. Her hair was deep purple, straight, and long. It flowed to the floor like her long, elegant garb. Her skin was pale and her ears were pointed like a fairy or elf. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Do you fear me? Do you fear your life?" her voice was as lovely and pure as a crystal. It almost hurt to hear her.

"Yes," Ariyuki replied, staring down. "I'm very afraid. I don't know what I'm doing here. Am I something bad?"

"It all depends on what you choose, Ariyuki," came her soft voice. She stepped closer until she right in front of him, then gracefully knelt on both knees so that she was almost his height. "I am Kii. You have grown since I last saw you. That was only three months ago."

"What do you mean?"

"You were only a baby then."

Ariyuki's mouth fell open. "What are you talking about?! Babies take years to grow up! All normal kids do-" he stopped, dropping his head.

"You are not a normal child, Ariyuki; you know that. You are a gifted boy with magical abilities. You have the power to summon elements and control them. To move objects and yourself. And yes, you are even a Digidestined; that is one thing he did not count on." She smiled sincerely.

"'He'? Who's he?" Ariyuki asked.

"I cannot say. It would destroy me. But when you were born, Ariyuki, he stole you from your volunteering caretaker and had you mature quickly. You were suppose to be thirteen or fourteen, but your powers broke your restraints and you nearly escaped. However, he recaptured you, and imported something evil into you; you were then released to this world where he plotted you to lose your memory.'

"Ken then found you and brought you into his family," she gazed at Ariyuki with sadness. 

"So I _am_ Evil," Ariyuki said in despair.

"No, Ariyuki! You are whatever you choose. You are merely a host to something Evil. You, like Ken are pure and good. I guess you could say, you _are_ Ken."

"Wh-what?" his jaw dropped and his legs nearly gave out from shock.

"You are. But you are not the only one. There is another like you, Ariyuki. I cannot explain it all now, young one, but I can tell you, you were born in a different realm." She kissed his forehead, then backed away. "Your friends are frightened for you. You must return to them."

"Please, wait. Can _anyone_ tell me about myself? Anyone here?" asked Ariyuki in desperation.

"There may be one, Uzulongmon. He knows a great deal about things that have happened, are happening, and will happen," her gaze lowered to his neck where his blue gemstone shone a weak light. "I see the Glacier Stone has found its way to you here," she placed her hand over it, causing Ariyuki to blush. "Keep it close, for it will help introduce you to new powers you will inherit. Ask Uzulongmon for help; he will grant you information."

And with that, she kissed Ariyuki on the forehead again, backed away, then bid him farewell. Everything around Ariyuki faded into black. The next thing that happened was frightening; he felt like he was drowning, choking on water. He tried to gag it up, but couldn't. Around him he could hear voices.

_Ariyuki! Ariyuki open your eyes!_

Please wake up, Ariyuki!

Suddenly, he could feel his chest being pressed hard. The next thing he knew, he was sitting up, hacking up water, then laying his head back onto the damp ground. His vision was blurred for a few minutes. When he could see clearly, he gazed around.

Kari, Ken, and Yolei had tear stained cheeks, and the other three boys were sighing with relief. Ken wrapped his arms around Ariyuki, embracing him tightly. Ariyuki was just confused.

"What happened to me?" he asked raucously through Ken's arms.

"We thought you'd died," sobbed Ken, his breathing unsteady. 

"We found you sinking in the river, motionless," said Kari, her voice quavering. "Davis and Ken had to dive in after you. When they pulled you out, you weren't breathing and we thought we were too late."

Ariyuki stared at everyone. "I saw a woman. She-she told me I was taken from a person taking care of me when I was a baby. This man, he tried to age me to about your guy's maturity, but I managed to escape. However, he was able to recapture me and put something bad inside me; I don't know what, but that's probably what's keeping me from remembering my past.'

"Anyway, then he sent me to this world, wittingly making me forget everything before I woke up. Guys, I'm scared." He buried his face in Ken's chest, Ken holding him once more.

"A woman? Is that what she told you?" T.K. asked.

"Yeah," said Ariyuki, standing up. "She also told me a guy called Uzulongmon could help me. I'm gonna guess he's a Digimon."

"He is, and a very strong one at that," said Ken. "He's very powerful and very wise, but I can't see him knowing about you or how you got here."

"I know, but Kii, that woman, mentioned this thing," Ariyuki unclipped his blue gemstone and showed it to his friends, "She called it the Glacier Stone. She said it would help me on finding my magic."

"That's..._weird_," said Davis, thoughtfully.

"I know. I never even knew I had powers."

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean, a strange lady visits you while you're dying, claiming you have magical powers, warning you to stay away from Evil, but expects you to trust _her_? You can't be serious! There's something up," Davis sat on the ground.

"That's the first smart thing you've said all day," admitted Yolei.

"You guys are hard on trusting people, aren't you?" asked Ariyuki.

"Very," said Cody.

"Well, I think we should just be grateful that Ariyuki's alive," said Kailomon, speaking up for the first time. 

"Yes, I think so too," agreed Kari. "Maybe we should all head home now and discuss this tomorrow. No point worrying over something when we don't know what it is."

"Kari's totally right!" said Davis, "And I'm tired."

"So am I," admitted T.K.

"Are you guys serious?!" exclaimed Cody. "We need to find out what this thing is!"

"Don't be so uptight, Cody," said T.K. "It'll just have to wait until tomorrow. Ariyuki's exhausted, just like the rest of us. We all need some rest so we won't get into any more fights."

"Amen," Kailomon wearily agreed.

"I'm all for that," mumbled Ken.

"Then it's decided!" said Davis, "We'll all meet back at the park tomorrow at the most congenient time!"

"That's 'convenient', Dip stick!" Yolei teased.

"Lay off, Duck Feet!" retorted Davis.

While Davis and Yolei engaged in a name-calling fight, the others tip-toed away silently. When they were back in the field where they started, they all sighed, then fell into the flowers.

"Are they _always_ like that?" Ariyuki asked.

"_Always_," replied T.K., Ken, Kari, and Cody.

"Ariyuki, do you trust this woman that you saw?" Kari asked.

"Well...I'm not sure. She seems nice and friendly, and knows more about me than I do," said Ariyuki.

"I don't mean to sound rude," said Cody, "but who doesn't?"

"Yeah, I know." Ariyuki's thoughts traveled back to Kii. "Hey," he said, "I remember her telling me that I'm you, Ken, or something _like _you. She also told me that there's another!"

"You mean, you're a _counterpart_?" asked Cody.

"That's what she told me," Ariyuki replied, staring at everyone.

"And there's another like you? So, you're telling me that there's gonna be Ken triplets running around?" T.K. inquired, looking stunned. 

"I don't know," Ariyuki's head hung. "I don't know anything right now except I'm tired."

"Yeah, we all are." announced Kailomon. "Lets all head home and get some sleep. Davis and Yolei will be fine."

And with that, the five Digidestined and their Digimon went back home through the Digiport.

"Are you serious?! Ariyuki's a Digidestined too?!" 

"Oh, wow! I'm so proud of you, Ariyuki!"

Ken had told his parents the whole story about Ariyuki finding his Digimon and his becoming a Digidestined. Molly couldn't stop glowing with pride. Cal couldn't stop being concerned; Ken had also told them about Ariyuki's near death experience and Kii telling him that he was a counterpart of Ken.

"So, no wonder he looks so much like you," said Cal. "He _is_ you...in a sense."

"I've read in "Ancient Lore" about counterparts. They're either your friendly and pure side, or your Evil side. 

_And Kii said that there's another like Ariyuki. That must mean I have a pure counterpart and a Dark counterpart_, thought Ken.

Dinner that night was enjoyable and full of laughter. Molly made a Caesar salad as an appetizer, and later brought in the main course; a delicious turkey dinner with mashed potatoes (Ariyuki wasn't too fond of them, though). Kailomon and Wormmon were able to join them at the dinner table, but not before meeting each other. It was quite a sight to see.

Kailomon and Wormmon were studying each other from very angle, encircling each other, even patting each other's ears. They became very good friends in the end, though. While Kailomon and Wormmon were munching down their pieces of turkey, Ariyuki entertained everyone by attempting to sing "We Didn't Start the Fire" with his drumstick as the microphone.

After dinner, Ariyuki and Ken cleaned up, pulled their pajamas on (Molly bought Ariyuki a few pairs that fit him) and crawled into bed.

"Ken? When do you think we'll find the other person like you?" Ariyuki asked, staring at Ken's top bunk.

"I'm not sure, Ariyuki. If I know my dark self, we'll find him when he wants us to."

Pondering Ken's confusing, yet wise remark, Ariyuki rolled on his stomach. Kailomon curled up beside him, purring as she closed her eyes.

"Kailomon?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"I've decided. Every Digimon in the Digital World has their name ending with "mon", well, I decided to give you a _real_ name," He smiled.

"And what's that?" Kailomon yawned.

"I'm thinking of Midori. What do you think?" he asked.

"Hmm. I actually kinda like it. But why would you want to give me a name?"

"To make you unique. Now there isn't a single Digimon like you. Get it?" he smiled to his Digimon companion, who simply yawned and grinned.

"Yeah, I get it. Midori...I can really get use to that. Good-night, Ariyuki."

"Night, night, Midori," said Ariyuki.

He and Midori fell asleep almost instantly, waiting until next mornings light where a new adventure would definitely be waiting for them and their friends.

__

  



	3. Ch3: Enter Dark Warrior and his mysterio...

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon (more to come in future chapters). Like in the last chapters, I don't own any of the Digidestined or their parents. I also own the song in here, Get outta My Life. By the way, I'm sorry this one came later than the other two; I've been writing the first two chapters for days before thinking of sending them in. So, most likely the rest of the chapters will take just as long as this. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Chapter Three:

Enter Dark Warrior and his mysterious companion

__

Born from Darkness in the Light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long, and should he stray from right,

Grown cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night.

The next morning Ariyuki was the first to wake in the house. He stretched and moaned, dislodging Midori, and causing her to wake up and grunt. She yawned, opening her mouth wide, then shook the weariness from her head.

"Morning," he sighed, standing up and stretching his arms high. He turned around and watched Midori scratch her fluffy green head with her hind leg.

"How long does your brother sleep on the weekends?" she asked, leaping onto Ken's top bunk. "I think it's wakie time," she grinned, then jumped up on to Ken's stomach, causing him to gasp and sit up in shock.

"Ahh! Myotismon!" he screamed, not fully out of his unconscious state. Realizing it was only Kailomon, he moaned and flumped back down on the bed. "What kind of wake up call is this?" he asked Ariyuki. "Can't Kailomon terrorize Mom and Dad?"

"Her name is Midori," Ariyuki corrected. "I named her myself."

"Yeah, you call her Midori, I call her 'Terror from the Deep'," and he covered his head with a pillow.

Once Ariyuki and Midori finally hauled Ken and the reluctant Wormmon out of bed, all four of them got a work on breakfast. Ken cooked up French toast, the only thing he really knew how to cook, while Wormmon set the table and Ariyuki and Midori set fire to the bacon. It was still edible, but very crispy. When the four table plates were full with crispy bacon, very scrambled eggs, and perfectly done French toast, and the four of them were eating nonchalantly, Molly and Cal strolled into the kitchen.

"My, something smells good," commented Molly, sniffing at the air.

"It's toast, eggs, and bacon," announced Ariyuki. "We all made it ourselves."

"Oh, how sweet of you dears," Molly kissed all four of them, then grabbed a plate and started scooping up eggs.

"You guys really outdid yourselves," said Cal, his mouth full with French toast, making Midori wince.

After breakfast, Ariyuki gazed outside, looking down the streets where many people were bustling and chattering, and cars and vans were caught in traffic jams, while Ken walked into his room to get changed. The sun was bright today, without a single cloud in the sky, save for a few thin wisps. 

"What are your plans today, Ken?" Molly asked from the couch.

"Well, Ariyuki and I were gonna go to the park again today and meet Davis and the others," Ken replied, reentering the living room, fully dressed.

"Sounds like fun. I hope you both have a good time," said Cal.

"Oh, we're not leaving yet. We're gonna stay inside for while longer, maybe watch some news," Ken walked over to the window where Ariyuki was staring at two business men in the crowd who were brawling with each other with their suitcases. "C'mon, Ariyuki. Let's see if there's any cartoons on."

"Kay," Ariyuki abandoned the scenery outside and plopped onto the couch next to his mother. "Is there anything funny on?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Davis hummed to himself while sauntering down the sidewalk. It was a fine day for an ice cream. _Speaking of cream_, he thought to himself as he rubbed the top of his head. Yesterday in the Digital World, he and Yolei were having a hair-pulling competition. She then cheated and sent her fist careening into his skull; it still smarted from yesterday.

He then realized that he was caught in a crowd of people, all of whom were waiting for the little green walking man to appear on the traffic light. When it finally permitted them all to continue and Davis was on the other side of the street, he heard a familiar humming voice. He turned to his left to say hello to Ken when his insides froze. Was that...was he...No, it couldn't be.

Strolling down the sidewalk on the other side of the street was...The Digimon Emperor! "I'm seein' things," Davis said to himself, continuing to stare at the humming kid, "That's not Ken. It's _not_ Ken..."

The boy across the street then stopped and turned, locking his eyes with Davis. Davis gasped when he saw the sunglasses he was wearing. They were an exact match as the ones he'd seen before. He was the same height as Ken , and his dark blue hair was untidy and spiked, but the outfit he was wearing was much more casual; a white, buttoned up T-shirt that was as long as his waist, blue jeans, black and blue half gloves, and what seemed to be short brown boots, though he didn't know because his jeans were covering them up. He also wore a blue and white bandana around his neck.

The Emperor smirked maliciously, also something Davis remembered, then dashed up the sidewalk. Recovering from shock, Davis pursued. He jaywalked across the street to the other side, not letting Ken, if it was him, out of his sights. What was going on?

"Hey, you! Stop!" Davis shouted.

The Emperor seemed not to hear, or not to care. He made a sharp turn down an alleyway. Now it was Davis's turn to smirk; there was a dead-end down there. He had him cornered. However, when Davis turned the corner, the only thing he met was an empty alley; The Emperor had eluded him, or had he? 

On the filthy floor, in front of Davis was a clean piece of paper. He picked it up and flattened it out. It seemed to be an address of some sort. What was Ken up to? He decided to call everyone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I will not allow you to destroy this world_!_ I am the Goddess Mhera and shall destroy all evil_!_ Goddess Fire Punch_! 

Ariyuki's eyes were glued to the TV, watching "Goddess Rampage", which was actually very interesting to Ken, too. Just as Mhera, the Goddess of Fire, was taking on the Goddess of Evil, the telephone rang, and Molly picked it up.

"Ichijouji residents. Oh! Hang on a minute. Ken, phone!" Molly's singing voice echoed from the kitchen.

Ken gave Ariyuki, Wormmon, and Midori and weary look. "I'll bet you all _anything_ that that's Davis," He straightened up, then took the phone from his mother. "Hello?"

"_Ken, dude, what's up with you_?"

"Davis? What are you talking about?"

Ariyuki and the others were watching Ken. Something seemed to be wrong.

"_Me_? You _me_ running down the street? The Digimon Emperor?! Davis, wait-wait! Crap!" Ken hung up the phone the turned to his worried friends and brother. 

"It's Davis. He said he saw me as the Digimon Emperor running down the street today. He even found a piece of paper that came from me with an address on it." Ken and Ariyuki exchanged dark looks.

"Do ya think it's...you know, _you_?" Ariyuki asked.

"You mean the counterpart? Without a doubt in my mind," said Ken. "The gang's heading over here right now. Davis seems to think I'm behind this."

"Don't worry," said Ariyuki. "We'll back you up. You haven't left this house all day. We'll tell them that." the Digimon companions both nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but what are the chances they'll believe you?" Ken asked.

"Not so good," admitted Midori.

Five minutes later, Davis, Yolei, Kari, T.K., and Cody were at Ken's doorstep. "This way. To my room," said Ken.

"I'm tellin' ya, Ken, it was _you_ walking down that sidewalk!" said Davis.

"However, that woman could be right, and he could be Ken's evil counterpart. After all, Ariyuki, Kailo-I mean, Midori-and Wormmon all say he was here with them," Kari informed them all.

"For once, I don't think Ken's behind this," muttered Cody. "I don't think he'd do anything like that. It's just not him."

"Well, I'm glad _someone_ believes us," sighed Midori, pretending to catch her own tail.

"Well, I found this address on the floor that had to come from you-_him_," Davis pulled the little piece of paper from his pocket.

"Let me see that," Yolei ripped it out of Davis's hand and studied it. Not five seconds later, she looked up, then landed yet _another_ punch on top of Davis's head. "You Dip Stick! This is _Ken_'_s_ address!"

Now everyone was looking worried. It looks like Kii was right about Ken having two counterparts.

"Why do you think this second counterpart would want Ken's address?" Davis asked, rubbing the top of his head and glaring menacingly at Yolei.

"It's obvious," piped up Midori. "He's tryin' to get here; to Ken and Ariyuki!"

"Must have gotten the address out of a telephone book," said Ariyuki.

"This makes things even more confusing and worse," added T.K. "I mean, since this guy seems to be just like you, Ken, that might make him just as dangerous. His goal might be to kill you two."

"That's just what I was thinking," said Ken. "I know my dark self. I was stealthy and clever, and knew just how to get around, or how to target someone."

"How horrible," said Kari. "You're both in danger!"

"Hello!" barked Yolei, "We could _all _be in danger! For all we know, we could all be his targets! He could even be watching us right now!"

"That's a horrible thing to think of," said Ariyuki, shaking. "Being stalked by someone until at the right moment, when he could..." He stopped talking and shivered.

"I think it's safe to say we should all be careful until we can find this guy, or figure a thing or two out about him," announced T.K., standing up. "We should be watching our backs."

"I agree to that," said Cody, darkly. "Now with all these freaky events happening, it'll be hard to sleep tonight. There's school tomorrow, too."

"I forgot all about that," said Davis.

"You forget about everything," teased Yolei.

"At least I don't _eat_ everything!" retorted Davis.

"I think it's time we all went home," said Kari quickly, before any more hair was pulled out of someone's scalp.

After Ken and Ariyuki waved good-bye to their friends (Davis and Yolei were engaging in a sissy slap fight) and shut the door, they wearily stalked over to the sofa and fell on it with a soft _flump. _

"Ken," said Ariyuki, "I'm kinda scared about all this. I mean, who is this guy, and what does he want?"

"Well, my guess is, he's after power and the Digital World. I think we should all go there tomorrow after school and check everything out." came Ken's reply.

"That sounds like a wise plan," said Wormmon, crawling up the couch to sit next to his partner and friend. 

"Definitely," added Midori, leaping next to her trainee, and purring on his lap.

That night, after a sumptuous dinner of lamb chops, chicken, and noodles, Ken and Ariyuki went into their room and got changed for bed. After Ken told one of his stories about his adventures in the Digital World to Ariyuki, they both climbed into bed and fell asleep; or, at least Ken did. Ariyuki was unable. Apprehension about this treacherous boy filled his mind, making him restless.

Finally, he gave up trying to sleep, then walked out of his room, through the living room, to the porch window, and slid it open, strolling to the balcony and looking over it. The night air that ruffled his long braided hair was cold, causing him to shiver. He stared down at the lifeless street below; only a few young couples appeared at random times, talking about movies or love. Once his eyelids felt heavy and he yawned, he made to turn back inside, but a certain sound stopped him. He ran back to the balcony and looked down.

At first he saw nothing, but...was something watching him from those shadows down in the street? He peered closer (careful not to fall off the balcony) to get a better look, but all he saw was a blue shimmer of something; probably from glasses. He was just thinking of heading back inside, when something moved out of the shadows; a tall, frizzy blue-haired, sunglass wearing, smirking something. Though he didn't know how, Ariyuki knew that person was the perilous counterpart; he could feel it. Just then, the boy disappeared; right out of thin air!

Ariyuki gasped and made to turn back and tell Ken, but something grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth. Fear and alarm coursing through him, Ariyuki struggled hopelessly against his captor.

"If you don't want to die, then you'll desist," hissed a dark voice in his ear. Ariyuki stopped his futile fighting. "I think you know who I am, _Ariyuki_. The dark counterpart all your _friends_ were talking about," he released Ariyuki, and he turned to face his subjugator.

"How do you know that?" the youngling asked, his voice quavering from fear. "Who are you?"

"I've been spying on you and your friends all day today; chased down by that idiot, Davis, though he couldn't catch me," he grinned. "As for who I am, you'll find out soon enough. So, you don't need to worry; I'm not going to kill you. I still have a use for you."

"What makes you think I'm going to listen?" Ariyuki asked.

The boy laughed silently. "Weren't you watching when I disappeared?" he asked, cruel amusement in his voice. "I could just as soon teleport to one of your friend's houses. Just because I spared you, doesn't mean I have a heart to spare your friends, or even..." he glanced at the window, "Your brother. Am I making myself clear?"

"_You wouldn't_!"

"Oh, but I would," The Emperor growled fiercely. "It would only take one simple wave of my hand," he held out his palm, and a concentrated ball of blue light appeared, he used his energy and shaped it into a beam dagger. It looked quite real.

Ariyuki hung his head. "Alright. What do you want?"

"Relax," he made the blade disappear, and placed a cold hand on Ariyuki's shoulder, "All I want is for you to deliver a message to Kari's older brother named Tai. Tell him The Emperor (if you must call me anything) said 'I have something most precious to him. If he wants it back, he'll have to come to the Digital World. Only he and the new Digidestined may come. No one else.'"

Throwing the Emperor's hand off his shoulder, Ariyuki asked, "What will you do?"

"You'll find out when you come. And deliver this message right, Ariyuki; I'd hate to have to kill someone." And with that, he disappeared.

Ariyuki sank into a chair on the balcony, putting his face in his hands. Now what? Kari's brother could be in trouble, and there was nothing he could do, but obey this boy. He had to tell Ken. Racing swiftly and silently back into his room, he awoke Ken without much difficulty; it seems he too was having trouble sleeping.

He told Ken everything. About the boy's magical powers, about his message to Tai, and about a precious thing in the Digital World.

Ken thought. "I wonder what this guy's angle is. This makes no sense at all. Why go target Kari's brother?"

"He may just be using Tai to get to you," said Wormmon, "After all, he said for all of the new Digidestined to come. No one else."

"Still, why Tai? Why not Davis or T.K.?" piped up Midori. "You and Tai aren't even that good of friends."

"Maybe he wants Tai to use his Digimon for something. After all, Agumon's one of the strongest Digimon in the Digital World," said Ken.

"Well, whatever the reason is, we should warn Tai in the morning," suggested Ariyuki.

"Yes," Ken yawned then looked outside where the dark blue sky was streaked with a light magenta. "Great; Sunup. There's no use trying to sleep now. I'm gonna make some coffee."

"How can you _stand_ that stuff?" Ariyuki and Midori asked at the same time.

"I can't, but it's the only thing in the house that can keep me awake."

Two hours later, after Ken went to school, Ariyuki went and laid down on the couch, watching back to back episodes of "Goddess Rampage". It was hard for him to relax or calm down, however; remembering that guy last night always got him nervous. What did he want with Tai? Why pick Ariyuki as the messenger?

Cal later woke up and went to work (he was the secretary of an investigator's building), bidding Ariyuki and Molly good-bye. Breakfast was quiet and uneventful; Ariyuki decided not to tell his mother about seeing the mysterious youth last night. It would only frighten her. However, Molly started a new problem for him.

"So, Ariyuki, how would you feel about being enrolled in school?" she asked, turning her attention from her waffles to her son.

Ariyuki didn't look to enthusiastic. "Well, I don't know. I wasn't really counting on school yet." he tried to return to his toast, but Molly wanted to keep a conversation.

"You know you have to go to school sometime, Ariyuki; and I can understand a child at your age disliking school, but it'll be very good for you," she persisted.

"Hmm," Ariyuki was just about to say 'I really don't know,' when the phone rang, and he ran into the kitchen to pick it up, being thankful that he could stop the 'uncomfortable' conversation with his mother. "Hello?"

"Ariyuki? It's Davis; is Ken there?" 

"No, not yet. He should be soon, though-" at that moment, the door opened and shut softly, "-Never mind; I think he just got home." Ariyuki ran over and handed the phone to the weary Ken.

"Davis? What's wrong? The Park! Oh, yeah! Don't worry; we'll be there soon," and Ken hung up the phone.

"I forgot all about the park," admitted Ariyuki.

"Oh, well. This is a great time to tell the others about last night," replied Ken.

"Good idea," Midori and Wormmon said at the same time.

At the park, after saying hello to everyone, Ken and Ariyuki told them all about The Digimon Emperor, and about his message to Tai, while their Digimon companions sat and listened (the other five Digidestined left their Digimon home). Kari gasped. "Oh, no, Tai! We'd better go tell him! Agumon could be in trouble!"

"I'm willing to bet he _is_ in trouble, Kari," noted Yolei darkly.

"We'll all meet at my house," announced Davis. "We'll get to the Digital World from there."

"Yeah. Kari, you and Yolei run and get Tai. The rest of us will be at Davis's. Don't worry; we won't go without you," said T.K.

Kari and Yolei headed to her house while the others darted to Davis's.

"I'm confused," said Ariyuki breathlessly to Ken, "Who's Agumon?"

"He's Tai's Digital Partner. You'll get to meet him later, okay?" Ken panted.

At Davis's house, they waited patiently for Kari, Yolei, and Tai to arrive. When the doorbell finally rang, Davis opened the entrance with Tai, Yolei, and Kari behind it.

"What kept you?" Davis asked.

"Tai was way over at soccer practice," said Kari.

"Hurry up!" Cody's shrill voice rang from Davis's room. "I think there's something moving under Davis's bed!" he added, Ken, T.K., and Ariyuki giggling.

Grumbling, Davis put his Digivice to the computer screen, and the journey across the two worlds began. 

Two trips to the Digital World in one week was too much for Ariyuki's stomach; he became violently sick in the forest they had arrived in.

"Oh, poor thing!" squealed Kari, gently rubbing Ariyuki's back. "Are you gonna be alright?"

Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, Ariyuki nodded weakly. His face turned red with embarrassment when he looked behind Kari's shoulder and saw T.K. and Ken restraining the ticked off Davis, who was struggling madly to get to Ariyuki's throat.

"Do ya think this kid's around here, anywhere?" Tai asked, not paying much attention to Davis's wild scene.

"Beats me," said Yolei, gazing around the thick forest.

Just then Tai's Digivice went off, signaling that Agumon was near by. "This way, he shouted, pointing to his left. Even Davis forgot to strangle Ariyuki while dashing behind Tai. "Agumon! Agumon, where are you?!" Tai shouted, his hands on both sides of his mouth, to magnify his voice. There was no reply.

"What if he's hurt to badly to respond?" Kari asked, her eyes wide with fear, and her hands over her mouth.

"If that's true, then I'll kill that kid!" Tai roared with boundless rage. Breaking through a clearing, however, they found Agumon tied to a tree, a cloth bound around his snout and jaw to muffle his voice. "_Agumon_! You're alright!" Tai laughed with happiness and ran forward.

Agumon kept shaking his head as if trying to gesture him to stay back, but Tai wasn't paying attention; he untied the knot binding Agumon's jaw.

"Are you alright, Agumon? Did he hurt you?" Tai asked, attempting to unfasten Agumon's restraints.

"No, but Tai, you've got to get away from here!" he replied frantically.

"What? Why?"

"It's a trap, Tai!" Agumon shrieked. But too late; vines sprouted out of the ground, fastening themselves around Tai's arms, and pulling him to the ground, forcing him on his knees. Everyone gasped and ran to Tai's aid, trying with all their strength to relived Tai from the tight vines, but they only wrapped tighter.

"Now, _why_ don't the heroes _ever_ listen to their friends?" came a cruel, taunting voice from somewhere. 

"Show yourself!" Tai demanded from the ground.

Right in front of them, stepping out of the shadows of the trees, and smirking with satisfaction, was the Digimon Emperor. Even in the Digital World, his clothes were still the same as when Davis and Ariyuki had seen him, except he too had a blue gemstone, only he wore it with a chain like a necklace.

"What do you want?" Yolei demanded bravely.

Fingering his gemstone, The Emperor Boy chuckled then waved his right hand. Tai's vines uprooted themselves, then wrapped high around two tree branches so that he was dangling helplessly by his arms.

"_You monster_!" cried Kari. "Let him go!" she made to step forward, but Ken stopped her.

"Don't! It'll only make things worse for Tai," Ken said gently to the weeping Kari, then glared at his counterpart. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want a word!" the counterpart barked. "I never asked for this to turn into a war!"

"You're going about it all the wrong way!" shouted Cody. 

The counterpart glared at Cody. "Oh, yeah. I'd have been a _million_ times more successful by simply walking up and saying 'Hello. May I have a word?'" he said sarcastically. Cody stared down; he _did_ have a point. "Hear me out, at the very least!"

"Give us one good reason!" yelled Yolei.

"No, Yolei!" said Ariyuki, stepping forward. "What is it you want to tell us?" he added sternly to the Emperor Boy.

"That the Digital World's in danger! There's something evil here," he informed the angry group of Digidestined.

"You mean, besides you?!" snarled Cody.

The counterpart stared at Cody with unmistakable hatred, but didn't reply. "Something horrible is being born here. It's regaining power..._very _quickly!" his words silenced everyone. "And you've been feeling it, haven't you, Ken?" he stared at Ken, as did everyone else.

"Even Little Ariyuki has had nightmares about it, though he hasn't told you."

"Ariyuki?" Ken asked.

He hung his head. "Yeah, he's right. I've been having terrible dreams about a small dark light growing bigger until it devoured the Earth."

"Alright, but how do _you_ know that?" Tai asked from the tree branches.

"Because I've been having them to," He stared at everyone. "All I ask is to join you. We can stop this thing if we all work together-"

"_There's no way_!" Cody screamed instantly.

"_Never_!" Bellowed Yolei.

Everyone seemed to be in an agreement that this boy was_ not_ to join them. Even Ken had his doubts. However, Ariyuki stepped forth, deaf to everyone's shouts and approached his other half and asked the question no one had ever thought of asking: "What's your name?"

The counterpart smiled at Ariyuki, then faced everyone else. "I am called Ariyami, and I have no hostile wishes toward you."

"And _I_ am Neomon!" added a childlike voice. A small, gray-black, cat-like creature leapt down from the tree in which Tai was hanging. It's eyes were blue and upturned so they were shaped like diamonds; it's ears were long like Midori's. In fact, it looked something like a black version of Midori.

"I told you to watch from the trees," Ariyami grumbled to his Digimon.

"It seemed like the best time to make an entrance, though, _Little Ariyami_."

Hearing sniggers behind his back, Ariyami's face turned deep red. "I can handle myself!" he shouted.

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight," said Yolei, red from laughing. "You, the ruthless part of Ken, take humiliation from your own Digimon?" and she fell over.

Ariyami was furious. Everyone was now laughing at him. "_Shut up_!" he roared at last, and the tree right next to Tai instantly disintegrated in flames. Everyone was hushed in a second. Ariyami's body was surrounded by powerful dark energy, causing the Digidestined to shiver in the cold that had swept over them all; this must be the source of Ariyami's dark power.

"Look at that," Kari stated breathlessly. 

Like his anger, Ariyami's power slowly faded until it was gone. He gazed wearily at everyone, then regained his composure. "I know I gave you doubts by kidnapping Agumon, and threatening Ariyuki, but give me a chance to redeem myself by helping you; I know I can."

He gazed desperately at everyone. "Well, Davis is our leader. We'll let him decide," said T.K.

All eyes were turned to Davis as he studied Ariyami. "I say...we give him _one_ chance. If he blows it, he's stuck out." 

Nobody looked too delighted about this, although Ariyami had a hard time hiding his delight. "You won't regret this," he promised.

"We'll see about that," snapped Kari. "And what about my brother?" she pointed angrily at the tree.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep your shirt on, girlie," Ariyami snapped his fingers and the vines disappeared. With nothing to hold him up, Tai fell to the ground. Kari helped him up and they both glowered at Ariyami. He tried to look innocent, but failed.

"So, where exactly is this _Evil_ you, Ken, and Ariyuki seem to be sensing?" Yolei asked.

"Well..." he gazed around as if trying to get his bearings, then faced his reluctant group and said honestly, "I'm not really sure."

Everyone fell over in shock. "That's it!" said Cody, "I can't work with this Digimon Emperor. I say we get rid of him!"

"_Hey_!" Ariyami seemed extremely offended. He picked Cody up by his shirt. "Don't you _ever_ associate me with that-that _weirdo_!"

Ken scowled. He knew that in his Digimon Emperor outfit he looked kind of strange, but he didn't need to hear that from _him_.

"Enough!" shouted Ariyuki. "Let's not search for the Evil right now, kay? Let's all go for nice walk or something," he tried successfully to wrench Ariyami's grip from Cody's shirt. 

"Good idea," said Yolei, thinking that if they didn't do something soon, Ariyami might get even angrier. She checked her bag. "Ya know, we still have some goodies from our last trip to the Digital World. Let's have another picnic and finish them off."

Everyone agreed to this. With Midori and Neomon leading the way, they trekked through the forest until they came to the familiar stream where they had picnicked last time. Once the huge green picnic cloth was set up and the rest of the food laid out, everyone began to eat gratefully. Everyone, that is, except Ariyami and Neomon. Ariyami was way in the back, sitting against a large apple tree, stroking Neomon on his lap.

"Let's get something to eat," suggested Neomon. "I _am_ kinda hungry."

"No, you go ahead," said Ariyami. "I can't. They'd only shun me."

"Now what makes you think that?" Neomon stared up at his partner, his crystal-like eyes shimmering. 

"You heard them. They all called me 'Digimon Emperor'. That's all they can compare me to. I don't think I'll _ever_ gain their trust." Ariyami bent his head low so that his hair and glasses were covering his sad face.

"I beg to differ," said a familiar girlish voice in front of him. He snapped his head up and saw Ariyuki before him, smiling, and holding out a small plate with two rolls of sushi, and two plum rice cakes. "For you and Neomon. I thought you guys might be hungry."

When Ariyuki set the plate down, Neomon immediately snatched up a roll of sushi, while Ariyami slowly munched on a rice cake. When he realized Ariyuki wasn't moving, he asked, "Aren't you gonna sit with your friends?"

"Uhhh," Ariyuki glanced behind him, where Yolei was angrily pouring rice cakes down Davis's shirt, and Davis was trying to stuff some up her nose. "I...don't think so."

Midori later joined the three, and they all began discussing how each of them had gotten to Earth. Ariyami's story was interesting; he said he was falling from the night sky when he woke up. He said by the cold weather it must have been Christmas or Winter. However, he somehow knew he had a magic gift and use his teleportation power to land safely on the ground. He couldn't remember where he came from either.

With the rest of dinner gone, the entire group of Digidestined, including Tai, all started a journey to one of the Digimon strip malls they had seen before. It was strange, but slowly everyone began warming up to Ariyami and his Digimon. He wasn't at all what they had expected. Instead of constantly cruel, hurtful, and sarcastic, which he was at times, he was actually rather funny, compassionate, and flamboyant. However, he got into many fights with Yolei and Davis.

Davis had asked why Ariyami wore such weird glasses, and Ariyami criticized his goggles and jacket.

"_Hey_! I'll have you know this is a gift from Tai!"

"Where'd he get 'em, the one dollar store?!"

"_Oh, yeah_?!"

"_Yeah_!"

"I sense another hair pulling contest," Yolei whispered to everyone. 

However, she was only half right; five minutes into the fight, Davis and Ariyami were on the floor, wrestling and punching each other fiercely. It was like a dog-fight, and they didn't know how to stop them without being viciously ripped apart. Then, Ariyami delivered a final blow to Davis's stomach, winding him, and rendering him unable to fight anymore.

"Ariyami!" squealed Kari. "Why did you do that?!" she ran over to Davis's aid.

"He started it," was all Ariyami could say.

After Davis recovered and Ken gave Ariyami a lecture on fighting with Davis, their journey continued. It was very uneventful for a long period of time. Then, Ariyami leapt up on a tree stump, catching everyone's attention. "I think it's time for some fun."

"Ariyami, _what_ are you doing?" Yolei asked.

"Singing," he said simply. "Do I hear a request?"

Now was the time to laugh. Ariyami sing a song? Finally, Ken had a request.

"Alright, I got one. How 'bout 'Get outta My Life'?"

"Great choice!" Ariyami jumped off the stump and grabbed Ariyuki. "I'll need some help, little guy."

Ariyuki went bright red, but agreed, laughing.

"Here we go!" he shouted, while marching ahead, Ariyuki right behind, mimicking him.

__

You keep on asking questions

Ya act like you can't trust me

Why is your suspicion on me?

No, I didn't go there,

No, I didn't leave here

Why can't you just let me be?

Every time ya get in my face

You always scare me

That is why I'm cryin' at night

Time for me to move on

Time for me to leave you

baby this is good-bye

Ya think your absence scares me

Please don't make me laugh....

At first, everyone stared at them both as if they were insane, but one minute into the song, and they were singing and marching along with the two. Once the song ended, they all had to stop and catch their breath. Kari sauntered over to Ariyami, who was kneeling over a cold stream, washing his blue and white bandana, then wetting his face. He jumped when she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Kari. Hi; I didn't see you," he wringed out his bandana, then made to wrap it around his neck again, but Kari grabbed it.

"My I look at it?" she asked. 

Ariyami went red, but agreed. It was a pretty bandana with three corners-It seemed like one had been torn off-and in each of these three corners was golden writing, though she couldn't understand it, and...

Kari gasped. Above the minuscule writing in each corner were two symbols; The Crest of Kindness, and another strange symbol she didn't recognize. In the middle of the bandana was the same as the three corners, only a larger example. She stared up at the confused Ariyami. "We have to show everyone else this. C'mon!"

When Kari presented the bandana to everyone, their eyes fell on all three Ichijouji Boys. 

"Where did you get that bandana?" Ken asked.

"I don't remember," said Ariyami flatly. "What I'm wearing now is what I woke up with, save for this gemstone."

"Look, the bandana is missing a piece," informed Yolei.

It hit Ariyuki and Ken suddenly. The excited youngling undid his torn piece of cloth and handed it to Ken. Their suspicions were confirmed; it fit the missing piece of the bandana. Now it was inevitable that both Ariyuki and Ariyami were Ken's official counterparts.

__


	4. Ch4: Ariyuki, the Hero

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon (more to come in future chapters). I don't own any of the Digidestined or their parents. By the way, I know this came _way_ later than the other ones, but my Word Processor refused to work; I fixed the problem, however. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Chapter four:

Ariyuki, the Hero

__

Born from Darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yes know he not the road is long, and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night

Ariyami munched on his chicken and noodles with great satisfaction while Molly and Cal watched him apprehensively from their cup of tea. They still remembered vividly earlier that day when Ken brought him home like some stray dog: Molly was folding clothes of her husband's and two sons when Cal came home, stiff and tired as usual. After complaining about his secretary, making Molly laugh, Cal began helping her with the laundry; it was quite a big load.

_Ken and Ariyuki should be home any minute_, thought Molly happily. She loved having them home and wanted to show them the presents she bought them at the store. When Cal left for the store, leaving Molly alone, she later realized that it was growing dark, and still no traces of her sons. Soon the sky was pitch-black, a ring of navy blue encircling the moon.

Molly walked out onto the balcony and stood, waiting, watching for any sign, any traces of her boys. Then she heard it-a noise, a strange, cat-like, hissing noise from somewhere above her. Molly gasped and looked up quickly; a smoky gray and black cat with a crystal blue gaze was perched on the roof above her, yowling loudly at her, its eyes fixed intently with hers. That strange animal gave her the creeps.

She made to turn back in when a noise, like feet scraping on ground, sounded her nervous system alarm. She quickly grabbed a pot with soil, spun around, and swung the pot viciously at the point where a human head should be. However, she only made contact with air. Confused, she opened her frightened eyes only to find a huge hunk of nothing. Feeling stupid and ashamed at her moment of panic, she set the pot back down on the balcony table, and slumped onto the chair, shaking slightly.

Remembering the howling creature, Molly snapped her head back up to the roof, but the creature was gone. She frowned and fingered her thumb where she had cut it from hurriedly grabbing the pot which had a sharp chipped piece. A taunting voice brought her back to reality.

"Nice swing, Lady." 

Molly's eyes widened and she stood up. There before her was a boy floating in the air. He was sitting cross-legged and grinning with delight. He had unusual disheveled blue hair and was wearing sunglasses, despite the lack of sun. He had an impish sort of grin and his eyes (though she didn't know their true color) had playfulness in them.

It was strange, but Molly somehow knew that the threat in this boy was minimal. He was a human version of the mischievous Puck, if nothing else.

"Were _you _the one causing all those frightening noises?" Molly inquired, glaring at the boy.

"Maybe." He was playing stupid.

"I see you've met Ariyami," said a guilty voice behind Molly. Ken and Ariyuki were standing behind her, slight fear in their eyes.

"We tried getting here before he did, but he cheated and flew," said Ariyuki, "He wanted to try and scare you."

"And I succeeded!" exclaimed Ariyami with pride.

"Ariyami..." said Molly thoughtfully, "That sounds something like Ariyuki, doesn't it?"

"And it would," said Ken. "Ariyami is my second counterpart. The, uh-the trouble-causing one."

"Really?" said Molly, "Well, I daresay we have a new member to the family. However, I don't think Cal will be too thrilled to meet you."

"I'll bet," he muttered.

"Anyway, where have you two been?! I've been worried sick about you both!"

"We're sorry, Mama, but we kinda got stuck in the Digiworld. Ariyami got in a fight with Yolei," began Ariyuki.

"Yeah, and we finally realized the time after Ariyami threw her in a lake," added Ken while Ariyuki and Ariyami sniggered.

"You _threw _her in a _lake_?!" exclaimed Molly, bearing her shock and rage upon Ariyami.

"She started it," he mumbled.

"I don't care! You don't go throwing young ladies into lakes!"

After Ariyami received his first punishment ever, which was to dust the living room, Molly got started on supper while Ken and Ariyuki were surfing the internet. Just after Ken sent an e-mail to Davis and T.K., the door opened slowly and Ariyami made his exhausted appearance. "Moms are pains!" he announced, flumping onto Ariyuki's bunk. "This is my first one and already I have complaints! Why can't we just trade her in for a new one?!" he added derisively.

"That's nothing," proclaimed Ken, straightening up, "You should see what she does when you knock over one of her flower pots. _Then _you run for all you're worth."

Ariyuki giggled in his seat. "I'd hate to see that."

Once Molly's homemade chicken and noodles were done cooking and simmering in a pot, Cal arrived home with a bag full of groceries and a disappointed expression on his face. "They're all out of teriyaki chicken, and they only had the small marshmallows."

"Oh, that's alright, dear. I'll go to the other one tomorrow. Right now I want you to meet someone. Ariyami!" Molly's voice rang out.

Ariyami ran from Ken's bedroom and into the kitchen where he collided into Cal, knocking him backwards. "Whoops! Sorry-Cal, was it?" he held out his hand to help Cal on his feet, but Cal didn't take it. Instead he stood up on his own and brushed the dust off of his sleeves.

"Yes, my name is Cal. And who are you?" His eyes roved around Ariyami and his tousled hair and sunglasses.

"I'm Ariyami. If I'm not missing my guess, you're Ken's dad."

"No. Do ya think?" said Cal sarcastically.

Ariyami laughed heartily and slapped Cal's shoulder, causing him to fall over again. "That's quite a lot of punch you pack in those hands," he commented, rising again.

"Um, Cal?" Molly budded in, "Ariyami is Ken's other counterpart, so-"

"Oh, no!" Cal interrupted, "Not another one!"

"Cal!" squealed Molly, "Don't be like that! Please, he has no where else to go!"

"There's no more room, Molly!" 

"He can sleep on the couch, can't you, Ariyami?"

"Well-" said Ariyami.

"When I agreed to let Ariyuki stay, I didn't know I'd be inviting _another _one!"

"Don't be so heartless!" commanded Molly.

"_What's going on in here_?!" Ken shouted, stepping into the kitchen. "You're both acting like children!"

"They're fighting over whether or not I should stay," said Ariyami.

"Of course he should stay," announced Ken.

"Not you too!" whined Cal. He slogged over to the sofa and let his body sink into it. Everyone watched with baited breath. Finally, he sighed then stood up again. "I _really _don't like this."

Everyone whooped and cheered and Molly ran over and kissed her husband. "Oh, thank you, Cal, sweety!"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. 

So, Ariyami was now another official member of the family, though it would take a while for him and Cal to get along well. When dinner was finished and Molly added sheets, pillows, and a blanket to the couch to make it more comfy, everyone went to bed, Ariyami being forced to wear a pair of Ken's pajamas (which fit him perfectly). He sprawled out on the sofa and tried to get to sleep, but just couldn't; this time of night always made him restless. He gave up any hope of sleep after laying there for a whole eventless hour. It was now eleven thirty and the sky outside was a very dark blue because of the bright moon.

Ariyami sat up and got out of bed. _I'll just go for a little flight around the neighborhood,_ he thought, walking toward the porch window. Then, a small shadow appeared behind him.

"Going out again, Ariyami?" it was Neomon.

"Not now, Neomon" he muttered. " I just need to clear my head. Maybe I can get a peaceful dream this time, huh?" he added.

"Don't count on it," Neomon whispered. "You and I both know that sweet dreams won't come to you for a long time."

"How do _you_ know it's gonna take us that long to find whatever threat's in the Digital World?" Ariyami scoffed and vanished. 

"I just know," Neomon said to himself. "And you'd better be careful; I think it's after you."

The cool night air was exactly what Ariyami needed. It whipped through his hair as he soared gracefully and quietly above the buildings. Just as he put his hands behind his head to relax, he noticed something that made him stop in mid-air. He checked his neck again, but felt only skin; where was his bandana? A quick flash-back of earlier that day made him remember that Kari still had it.

"Great," he mumbled. "All I gotta do is find out where she lives." he gazed down at the many buildings below. "Oh, what a _wonderful_ night," he added sarcastically.

He flew down like a shadow to a phone booth, disappeared, and reappeared inside. He flicked through the pages until he came across the name Kamiya. That was Kari's last name; he remembered from earlier that day while at the Digital World restaurant Cody had called her Kamiya. He tore the page out and glided through the roof of the booth, soaring all the way above the Tokyo Tower.

He carefully scanned the streets, all the while keeping one eye on the paper. Finally he spotted a tall apartment complex and its street matched the one on the address; this was it! He flew down and landed on the balcony. He cautiously peered through the window where there were wooden bunk beds and on the top bunk he could make out Kari's neat hair, but he wouldn't need to get near her; he just needed to get to his bandana, his most prized possession.

Silently, he pushed himself through the glass. Tiptoeing, he made his way to their computer desk and searched it, careful not to knock anything over; nothing was there. Where was it? A sudden movement behind him caused him to gasp and whip around; Kari had turned so that she was laying on her back. Her head and shoulders weren't covered up and there, around her own neck was _his_ bandana!

"_Of all the nerve_!" he whispered angrily to himself. He faded away and appeared hovering above her, lowering himself down slowly. _Steady, steady_, he thought to himself. He kept lowering until both of his knees were on either side of her so that he got a firm ground. Peering at his bandana, he realized she had it in a good, tight knot; this was going to be tough.

He tried to delicately wriggle the knot loose, but it was no good. _This is hopeless_, he though sorely to himself. However, gently tugging a bit more, the knot came undone and he slowly slid it out from around her neck. "_Gotcha_!" he whispered triumphantly, holding he blue and white bandana in front of him.

Suddenly, Kari shivered slightly and Ariyami, in a desperate attempt to avoid touching her, accidentally slipped. He barely caught himself just in time, but his face wasn't even an inch away from hers. Realizing this, he blushed madly and quickly reappeared beside the bunk bed. Relieved, his face still red, he started the journey back home.

Once safe on his couch, he examined his bandana; no stains, no rips, but smelt very sweet. Just as he was thinking about Kari wearing perfume, his coal-black Digimon leapt onto his lap.

"So _that's _why you left; to get your precious bandana! Where was it?"

"With someone else," Ariyami replied, tying his bandana back around his neck.

"Who's was it?"

"None of your business!" he retorted.

"Was it the pink one?" Neomon pressed on.

"No," said Ariyami as he covered himself up with the blanket and sheets.

"Oh! The brown one! Uh, Kari, right?"

"If I told you 'yes', would you shut up and leave me alone?" asked Ariyami irritably. Neomon nodded. "Alright. Yes. Now go to sleep."

Neomon shrugged. "I was only teasing you, Ariyami. I didn't mean to offend you in any-"

"You know how I am about stuff like that!" Ariyami said loudly, sitting up again. "I don't like girls! I _can't_ like girls! I'm not a people person ya know!'

"I am sorry, Master Ariyami. I will not bring up the subject again," said Neomon seriously. When Ariyami laid back down on his back, Neomon curled up on his stomach, much like Midori does with Ariyuki, and fell asleep. 

The next morning was a dull one. The sky was cloudy and gray and it was drizzling outside. School was cancelled for Ken, so he could stay home with his mother, father, and two brothers. It seemed like _Goddess Rampage _also captured Ariyami's attention; while Cal and Molly went to the store together, Ariyami appeared above Ken, hovering, his legs crossed.

"Watcha watchin'?" he wanted to know.

"A really cool show called Goddess Rampage!" said Ariyuki energetically. "See the one in red? That's Mhera, my favorite Goddess. She's so cool! She can control fire!"

Ariyami wasn't paying attention. "Look how short their skirts are! You can almost see-" but he stopped when he saw Ken's warning face. "Just lookin'," he said to Ken, who shook his head and went back to the show. "Ah, you're no fun." and with that, he flew up and disappeared.

"I'd _love _to know how he does that," commented Ariyuki.

"You and me both," said Ken enviously. 

Once up in the air, Ariyami seriously regretted leaving the warm, comfortable apartment; the wind chill was freezing and Ariyami was forced to find shelter. Not wanting to return home, he decided to explore. Also not wanting to attract attention, he teleported to the sidewalk and began walking like a regular person, though it _was_ dull and boring. He began wondering how humans could get around life without the wonderful use of magic.

In the grocery store, he found a variety of things he's never seen before: CDs, candy (which had to be his favorite thing), soda, and many others besides. He knew about paying for things and stealing, but he didn't have any money, so he decided to bend the rules a tad. While no one was watching, he stole a handful of gum and suckers, and disappeared. _It's just candy, and no one would miss it_, he thought reassuringly to himself.

While laughing in triumph to himself and doing loop-the-loops in the air, he stopped and noticed a familiar odd hair color below him. "Hey, Yolei!" he shouted, zipping down toward her. She looked less than happy to see him.

"What do _you _want?" she asked.

"Well, I mainly came to apologize," he admitted. Seeing Yolei's face of delight, he added, "But not because I wanted to. Mom said I had to the next time I saw you."

"Oh, so now you listen to Mommy?" she teased.

"Ya know, there's a pond real close to here," he threatened.

"I'll have you know that I got a cold from you!" Yolei yelled, sniffing. "I had to take medicine and see that horrid doctor of mine all because of _you_!"

"Well, maybe if you hadn't tried to take my glasses off, you wouldn't be in this mess, would you?" Ariyami retorted. "Did he gut ya?"

Yolei puffed up in anger. "I hate you, Ariyami Ichijouji! I _hate_ you!" she turned and ran away.

"All the same to you!" he bellowed after her.

Thinking of brutal ways to throw her into another lake, Ariyami took to the skies once more and headed home with his pockets full of candy.

"Where'd ya get all this?!" Ariyuki asked in shock and delight, picking up a piece of grape bubble gum.

"The store," said Ariyami plainly.

"How did you afford it?" Ken wanted to know.

"I couldn't. I just took it."

"I knew it."

Just then, the phone rang and Ariyuki ran over and answered it. "It's Davis," he told Ken.

"I knew that, too," said Ken. He took the receiver from Ariyuki's little hands. "What's up, Davis?"

"_Hey, Ken_! _We're all gonna go back to the Digital World today and see Tapirmon about some weird things goin' on_."

"Weird things? Like what?" Ken asked.

"_I dunno. But we're gonna find out. We'll meet ya there_!"

"What's going on in the Digital World?" asked Ariyami.

"I don't know," said Ken. "But let's go. We're needed there."

Through Ken's computer the three Ichijouji boys and their Digimon made their way to the Digital World. Ariyuki panicked again and nearly threw up, while Ken kept his stomach in place and looked determined, and Ariyami simply flew around, whooping with excitement. "This is great!" Ken heard him shout.

Once all nine pairs of feet landed on firm ground (and Ariyuki struggled to keep his breakfast in), they began a search for Tapirmon's restaurant. However, after a whole hour of searching in the forest for nothing, Ken was forced to Digivolve Wormmon into Stingmon. Since Ariyuki's Digimon didn't know how to Digivolve yet, he got to hitch a ride on Ken's gigantic green insect, while Ariyami flew on his own, Neomon on his shoulder.

"What does this restaurant look like again?" Ariyami shouted through the wind.

"Well, to tell the truth, I can't really remember!" Ken replied.

"Oh, _great_!" Ariyami yelled mockingly.

"I think I see it!" Ariyuki pointed out. And there it was; the huge red, old Japanese-looking restaurant surrounded by thick pine trees.

"Well done, Ariyuki," commented Ken, ruffling Ariyuki's long hair. Stingmon pulled in for a landing and Ariyami followed suit. They were all greeted by the rest of the gang, all who looked worried.

"What's up?" Ken asked.

"There's talk around the Digital World that a strange darkness is invading a part of it," said Cody.

"Who said this?" Ariyami asked.

"Tapirmon," Kari replied.

"I think we should investigate the possibly infected part of the Digital World," suggested T.K.

"Great idea; glad I thought of it," responded Davis.

Soon, six large Digimon took to the air, each carrying their master. This time, out of Yolei's offer, Ariyuki rode with her and Ariyami flew by himself. While the others were flying in a serious manner, Ariyami was acting like a six year-old again; he challenged Cody and Submarimon to a race, which they were only too happy to except, and kept circling Davis and X Veemon.

"When will you _ever_ act your age?" Yolei protested.

"When Hell freezes over!" he replied cheekily.

Yolei puffed up once more and ushered Aquilamon forward. Then, Kari flew forward on Nephertimon; she had a question for Ariyami. 

"Ariyami?" she began.

"Yes?"

"Can you teleport items from one place to another?" she asked.

"No; why-"

"_Aha_! So you_ were_ in my room last night!" shouted Kari.

"What are you-" then he remembered; he took his bandana from her. He went red. "Kari, I'm really sorry I snuck in. I just wanted-"

"You could have waited until I gave it to you!"

"Well, actually-"

"What are you two arguing about? We gotta find whatever's infecting the Digital World!" interrupted Cody. 

The Digidestined knew they had reached their destination when the first thing they saw were attacking Flymon. They threw their Brown Stinger attacks at them and the Digidestined had to evade immediately.

"What's going on? Why are they attacking us?" Ariyuki asked with fright while Yolei held him, trying to comfort him.

"I'll find out!" Ariyami announced. He flew in close to the Flymon; dangerously close. He was almost winged by one of the charging bee-like creatures. While dodging, he saw it; a Dark Ring! "So that's it!" He retreated with the others. Once they were on safe ground, Ariyami told them what he had seen.

"A Dark Ring?! That can't be!" Ken cried. "They were destroyed! They _all_ were destroyed!"

"Apparently not," said Ariyami.

Everyone was distracted, however, by a sudden thud sound. Looking behind them, they noticed that Davis had collapsed, his face pale; a pool of blood forming around his shoulder.

"Oh, My God!" cried Yolei.

"He's been hit!" said T.K. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I-I didn't want you guys to be worried over n-nothing," replied Davis, weakly.

"You idiot!" yelled Yolei, tears flowing down her face, "Didn't you remember that a Flymon's stings are venomous?!" she turned to Ariyami, her eyes pleading. "Ariyami, do you know _anything_ about Flymon?"

"I know _everything_ about Flymon," he replied silently, his voice hoarse. "I don't think you want to hear the news that I have."

"What will happen to him?" Kari cried.

"Yolei only told us _half_ of the Flymon's stings. Their stings _are_ poisonous, but they are also fatal to anyone who encounters them, and death is pretty much immediate."

Davis began gasping for air. Everyone gathered around to him. "No, please. Davis don't die. Please don't die," pleaded Kari, holding his hand, tears falling onto it.

Ariyami turned away, the walked forward and grasped Ariyuki's arms. "Alright, kid. Time to make yourself useful." he dragged Ariyuki toward Davis.

"Excuse me?" Ariyuki asked, wiping his tears on his sleeve.

"Heal him," Ariyami commanded.

"What do you-I can't heal! I don't have any magic powers!"

Ariyami forced Ariyuki to the ground, next to Davis, who was still trying to breath. "Of course you can! Why else would you have been given that Glacier Stone? Where I have powers of destruction, you are gifted with the powers to fix and heal! Didn't Kii tell you any of this?!" When Ariyuki shook his head, Ariyami sighed with anger. "_Do it anyway, squirt_! _Davis is about to die_!"

Ariyuki stared down at Davis who was going paler and colder. Ariyuki placed his hands over Davis's open wound and tried focusing his energy, but it was no use. He kept trying, however and beads of sweat made their appearance on his face. _I don't know why Ariyami thinks I can do this; I can't_, he thought miserably to himself. But he knew he had to try; soon the air he was trying to breath grew thin; he though he was going to pass out. He was gasping for air then...

He was surrounded by black again and was standing. Everyone else was had disappeared. The familiar waterfalls trickled around him, and underneath him was the wet ground. He was in that strange realm again. Looking forward, he saw Kii again, her long purple hair shimmering, and her garments touching the watery floor.

"You have returned, young one," she said softly, her crystal voice ringing in his ears. "You are confused and troubled once again, are you not?"

"I am," he replied, "Ariyami tells me I have a gift to heal, but I've never known this power before. I can't even bring it out."

"That is because you doubt yourself. You believe you will fail and Davis will die, but he _will _die if you don't believe you can do this task. Ariyami believes in you, Ariyuki, and so do your friends. You must believe in yourself as well, or Davis is lost to Darkness forever." her head fell solemnly.

Ariyuki's eyes filled with tears. "I tried to help him, Kii. I tried. I just-I just..."

"You just lost faith," she sauntered gracefully over to the saddened youngling, bent down, and kissed him on the forehead. "I know you are confused, Ariyuki. You know your stone possesses power, as I have told you, but you do not know how to wield it. The healing magic in your stone does not need special incantations or power; it just needs you, your faith in yourself and your powers, and your will to heal. Do you understand?"

"I think so, Kii, but-"

"Here," she reached her elegant hand in the water and pulled out a fish. Then, she did the most horrible thing Ariyuki had ever seen; she snapped its spine. He could hear the bone-cringing crack. She then placed it in Ariyuki's hand. "Heal it, Ariyuki, before it dies."

Ariyuki was totally shocked, but obeyed. He held the limp fish close to him and concentrated hard, trying with all his might to have faith in himself. At first, nothing happened, but then, Ariyuki reached a little deeper inside himself, and a weak blue light shone in his hands. It was beautiful and warming, and Ariyuki would have been proud of himself if he wasn't concentrating so hard. Ariyuki was getting exhausted, sweat poured down his face, and he was gasping for air.

The light in his hands grew slowly brighter, but Ariyuki was getting weaker. If he went on any longer, he'd surely pass out. Ariyuki stopped; the light went away, and Ariyuki was panting for air, his legs weak and his mind dizzy. Then, a sudden wriggling in his hands made him scream and drop the fish back in the water and it swam away quickly; he had healed it!

"You have done it, Ariyuki! I'm so proud of you! Because of you, that fish will live a longer life," said Kii, embracing Ariyuki.

"I'm so tired, Kii," he muttered, wanting more than anything to fall asleep.

"I know you are, Ariyuki, but you can't sleep yet; another needs you now. Go to him and heal him. Remember, you can perform many forms of magics, as long as you know you can. Farewell, youngling." And with that, the surroundings disappeared and Ariyuki blinked.

He was kneeling once again next to the dying Davis. No time had passed at all! Remembering what Kii said, he closed his eyes and fixed all of his strength on healing is friend. Once again, a weak blue light shone around Davis and Ariyuki's hands; everyone around him could feel the warmth from Ariyuki's power, much unlike Ariyami's cold, dark power. Ariyuki once again felt weak and his hands began to tremble, but he kept his position; if he stopped now, Davis might not make it.

Ariyuki began gasping for breath, and weariness was taking over him inch by inch. Just when he thought he was going to faint, he felt and pair of hands on his shoulders. They were Ken's.

"My friends stuck with me when I was losing to the Dark Ocean; maybe I can help you, Ariyuki."

Thankful, Ariyuki used his energy to transfer Ken's power to his own, and the blue healing light grew intense and the restoring process greatly sped up. Davis's wound began to close up and his breathing was getting steady. Then, all at once, the blue light disintegrated and Ariyuki fell backward onto Ken, unconscious.

His dream was a frightening one; he was standing in a field of lilacs, wind billowing everywhere, causing petals to scatter about and encircle him. His long blue hair fluttered about and in front of him stood a shadow of a woman. She turned and faced Ariyuki, smiling gently. Then the lilac petals consumed her, and she disappeared. Then before him appeared Ariyami, who looked weary and somewhat hazed, as though hypnotized. 

Next to Ariyami was a dark figure that he couldn't make out. This figure was tall and had red, menacing eyes. It snarled and then the other Digidestined appeared behind Ariyami; Ken was tied with Ariyami and he too seemed as if he were hypnotized. The shadow raised its hands and the other five Digidestined were destroyed.

Ariyuki screamed, but no sound came out. Then the shadow spoke in a deep, horrible, cruel voice: "You have been silenced by the Dark Lord. You and your brothers of Darkness now belong to me! The darkness has been calling for you. Surrender yourselves and live."

"_Never_!" Ariyuki screamed at last, rage filling up inside him. 

"Then, _die_!" it hissed. A flash of green light surrounded Ariyuki and his counterparts. Then the green light turned into a round, green force field, lifting them all off the ground. Suddenly, the green ball exploded into powerful beams of black shadow.

Ariyuki shrieked with terror and sat up in bed, meeting Kari's chest. He was panting deeply and trying to speak, but Kari kept hushing him and rocking him. "It's alright, Ariyuki. It's okay."

"But-but Davis...Is he-"

"Shhh," said Kari, continuing to gently rock from side to side, stroking Ariyuki's light blue hair, which she had unbraided. "Davis is fine, thanks to you. He's says he's never felt better in his life."

"I'm really sorry I took so long..." he tried to say.

"Don't speak anymore, Ariyuki. You're still very weak. You've only been asleep for three hours; you're still trembling from exhaustion." Kari held him tightly in an attempt to calm his quivering body. Ariyuki could feel his own hands shaking, and now that he thought about it, he was still more exhausted than ever. He closed his eyes and fell back into weary darkness.

The second dream wasn't as terrible; he was back in the watery realm with Kii. The events happened exactly as they did earlier; she broke a fish's spine, and made Ariyuki heal it. After which, though, she began saying something Ariyuki hadn't recalled: "The power your stone wields is not only for healing, Ariyuki. It has the ability to control many different elements. You will learn these properties soon. However, I have news for you in the future time; beware of false information, Ariyuki. Something dark in the Digital World will try to lead you to believe something that is not true, and if you do believe it, you and your friends could be in terrible peril." 

"What is it?" Ariyuki asked.

"Alas, I am forbidden to say. You must figure this out on your own," she replied gently. Then she thought of something. "Your healing power does not come to you easily, does it?"

"No," said Ariyuki. "I keep getting worn out. I even fainted after I healed Davis."

"More than that; you nearly died," said Kii. "Ariyuki, you must train yourself to use your gift of magic, or your other spells will be even harder to work. Some have been know to kill the inexperienced people who tried to wield it. Now, you must go now, Ariyuki. It is breakfast time, if I'm not mistaken."

"But Kii, my stone!"

"Yes?" asked Kii.

"What if this evil makes its way to the Real World? My gem can't come with me out of the Digital World, like the rest of my outfit!"

"That is why you must find your Digivice, Ariyuki. With it, your jewel can go with you anywhere."

Kii waved good-bye, and all went black.

The next thing Ariyuki heard were the chirping sounds of birds. His eyes groggily fluttered open. He groaned and sat up, dislodging Midori from his chest again. "Where am I?" he asked, gazing around. Before Midori said anything, Ariyuki realized that it was Ken's room. "How'd we get home?"

"Ariyami had to carry you through the portal," explained Midori. "We all thought you were going to vomit in your sleep."

"Where-where is everyone?" Ariyuki asked.

"They're all probably out in the living room; last I saw them, they were worried to death, and Molly was saying something about 'Losing another'," said Midori with slight confusion in her voice.

"Wonder what that means."

Ariyuki unsteadily got to his feet and carefully toddled into the living room. Once he made his appearance, everyone stared at him. "Oh, Ariyuki!" Molly cried out. She sat up and bolted toward her son. After hugging and kissing him to no end, she carried Ariyuki to the sofa, deaf to his protests.

"How are you feeling, Ariyuki?" Cal asked, feeling his forehead.

"A little dizzy," he replied.

"We were all worried about you," stated Ken, hugging his brother, "But I'm glad you're all right now." Ariyuki smiled wearily up at Ken.

Just then, Ariyami flew through the wall, at first seeming like he did nothing wrong, but a second later, lugged a head-sized bag through the wall with him.

"What's in_ that_?" inquired Cal.

"A little something for the get-well-boy." he smiled mischievously and handed it to Ariyuki. Excited, he opened the bag and hundreds of candy fell out.

"Where did ya get this?" Ariyuki asked, but remembering yesterday answered his question.

"You didn't steal this too, did you?" Cal asked suspiciously.

"Of course I did!" he answered. "I wasn't just gonna _buy_ him something like a regular old present; I decided to steal it so that it's special!"

"Specially _illegal_," argued Ken.

"Oh well, who asked you? It's Ariyuki's present, so butt out!" Ariyami bellowed.

Just when Ariyuki thought that this was too much praise, at about 1:35 in the afternoon, the rest of the Digidestined arrived, each having a present for the little hero; Kari brought him a chocolate cheesecake, though she was forced to battle Ariyami over it, and T.K. got him a diary with mini versions of all the Digidestined's Digimon printed all over it. It also came with a pen with golden ink (Ariyuki squealed in delight at this present). Cody was next, and he bought him a set of different healing stones; a purple amethyst stone, a blue stone that was almost the same color as his hair, and a lightly tinged pink stone. Next was Yolei who gave him many hugs and a _Goddess Rampage_ wall scroll with Mhera in the center, holding her scimitar of fire.

Last, but not least, was Davis. He spent all of his allowance an bought Ariyuki a book on Fairies. Ariyuki loved this gift; he was a _huge_ mystical creature fan. After the gifts were given, Kari cut the chocolate cheesecake and gave everyone a slice.

It was a small party at the Ichijouji residents in favor of Ariyuki and his saving the life of his silly friend, Davis. Everyone was excited and happy, and it made Ariyuki happy to see them this way. However, unknown to the cheerful Digidestined, someone, deep in his own thoughts, was planning nothing less than the very demise of them all.


	5. Ch5: Betrayal

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori(Mysticmon), Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Alan (though he hardly appears) Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Shinomon/Kuromon (more to come in future chapters). I don't own any of the Digidestined or their parents or Digimon. I am sorry that this one came late too. Not only was my Word Processor giving me problems, I couldn't get the internet hooked up because of late bills arriving. Once again, sorry for the inconvenience.^-^;

Chapter Five:

Betrayal?

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night.

It was five days after the Digidestined's party for Ariyuki, and every Ichijouji in the house was out like a light. Ariyami was snoring loudly on the couch, his right leg and arm hanging off, while the other boys were fast asleep in Ken's room. Molly and Cal were both dead to the world in their room as well. The first to rise was Ken this time; he yawned noisily and stretched, awakening Wormmon, who greeted him with an exhausted yawn.

"Looks like I beat Ariyuki this time," he said hoarsely to Wormmon. "Let's get something to eat; I'm starving!" Ken, carrying Wormmon in his arms, climbed down the bunk bed ladder and ambled into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door, his face fell in disappointment. "Doesn't look like much to eat, today."

"Then lets go out and eat!" suggested a voice behind Ken. He whipped around and came face-to-face with a hanging upside-down Ariyami. Though Ariyami had just woken up, he had an energetic look on his face and was already dressed. Today it looked like he was going to wear black jeans with his white buttoned T-shirt. His white socks appeared clean for a change, which amazed Ken until he realized they were _his_ socks.

"C'mon! We can wake Ariyuki up and go somewhere to eat! Come one!" 

Before Ken could answer, Ariyami picked Ken up by the waist and flew around the corners of the house and into Ken's room, where he dropped the terrified indigo on his bed. He then crouched down low to the sleeping Ariyuki. "Don't scare him too," warned Ken. "He's been real jumpy ever since his last memory flash yesterday." He remembered vividly yesterday after the party when everything seemed normal...

Ariyuki was simply sitting on the couch, his eyes tired and ready for bed, when his head dropped. Even though they all thought he was probably playing with his hair, or communicating his own weariness, Ken couldn't help but stare at him. All of the sudden, his shoulders shook slightly and he began pleading with someone.

"No...no, please. Please! Don't do this. _Please_ _Stop it_!" Ariyuki then began gripping his hair; he was in pain!

"_Ariyuki_!" Ken and Ariyami dashed over to Ariyuki's aid. They managed to shake him back to reality, but tears were running down his cheeks and his hands were quavering. "Ariyuki, are you alright?" Ken asked, while Ariyami held him.

"It hurt so much," was all he could say.

"What? What hurt so much?"

"Obviously another memory attack," Ariyami suggested, looking at the now unconscious Ariyuki with concern.

"He needs to lie down and rest," persisted Molly, who was also shaking.

Cal felt Ariyuki's forehead. "He's got a fever. I'll go get the icepack."

While Ariyami and Molly went to the closet to get some blankets, Ken carried Ariyuki to his room where he changed his clothes to pajamas. "Poor little guy," he said to himself. "I wonder what happened to you in the past that hurts so much. I promise I'll find out. I promise." Then, Molly and Ariyami entered with some blankets for Ariyuki and Cal came with the icepack. Tying it to his head professionally, Cal tucked the youngling in.

"We'll see how he feels tomorrow," he said... 

Ariyami also remembered that night. "Alright, alright. But ya gotta admit, it's kinda strange how he's got all these memories and I don't. I wonder why."

Then Ariyuki stirred. He sat up and with some confusion, pulled the icepack from his head. "What happened?"

"You had another memory attack last night," said Ariyami. "But don't try to remember it; we don't want you passing out again."

Ariyuki sighed and sat up, awakening Midori next to him. "Ah, you're alright. Me and Neomon thought you were gonna die."

"We told you he'd be fine," noted Ken, scratching Midori's long green ears.

"So, ya hungry, Ariyuki? I know I am!" said Ariyami.

Ariyuki's face brightened and he leapt off the bed. "Okay! What's for lunch?" he asked, glancing at the snowman clock in Ken's room.

"There's nothing to eat here," said Ken, walking into the living room with his brothers and slumping onto the couch. "So, me and Ariyami decided to go out and eat. How's that sound?"

"Yeah!" Ariyuki leapt in the air and ran to Ken's room to change.

"I swear, sometimes that kid scares me," declared Ariyami.

"What, you were never an energetic ten year-old child?" Ken asked in amusement.

Ariyami glared. "Ken, I doubt I was ever an energetic _twelve_ year-old child." and they both laughed.

Ariyuki skidded into the room, this time wearing a blue T-shirt and a white long-sleeved shirt underneath. His pants were blue jeans and his socks were white. However, Ariyuki neglected to brush his hair, and Ken refused to let him go until he did. When that task was completed and Ken braided his hair again, Ken went to go change.

"I'm so excited," Ariyuki told Ariyami. "I've never been out to eat except that one time at that ice cream place. I had a really yummy milkshake."

"Really?" asked Ariyami. "I've never had ice cream before."

"_Never_?" asked Ariyami in shock, "Well, I don't remember that store's name, but I do know that it was really good."

"Yeah, it's called _Keichoe's_," Ken informed, stepping back into the living room, dressed in his white and blue T-shirt and sand colored khakis. "I've left a note on the counter for Mom and Dad. They'll know where we are."

"Do ya have your wallet this time?" Ariyuki asked, remembering the last time Ken forgot it.

"Right here," he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Then let's get outta here!" said Ariyami, making for the door.

"But, before we go," said Ken, making Ariyami stop in his tracks, "You've gotta promise _not _to use your magic."

Ariyami looked cranky, but agreed.

"Wait! Can I come too?" Midori's squeaky voice rang as she ran toward them. 

"Wait for us!" shouted Neomon and Wormmon at the same time.

"Shhh!" Ken warned. "Don't wake Mom and Dad up. Yes, you can come with us."

Their Digimon cheered silently, and Midori and Neomon leapt onto their master's shoulders, while Ken picked Wormmon up. The sun outside was bright, and Ariyuki's eyes had to adjust to the bright radiance. There was a light, cool breeze and the clouds that were in the sky were once again puffy pillows; Ariyami had to exercise a lot of self control not to break his promise and fly right into the clouds. "Where to first?" he said instead, scratching his Digimon's chin.

"I think Hokimi's Diner oughta be a nice place to eat," suggested Ken. "What do you think, Ariyuki? They have fried rice that they cook perfectly, and the chicken is to die for. Oh! And the doughnuts are irresistible."

"Sounds yummy!" said Ariyuki, taking Ken's hand as they crossed the street. "Where is it?"

"Almost right ahead. See?" he pointed to the large red and green sign up ahead with the words "Hokimi's Dynasty Diner" inscribed upon it. Ken noticed Wormmon rubbing his front pink arms together in satisfaction.

"_Alright_!" Ariyami made to fly forward, but Ken and Ariyuki and all three Digimon managed to snatch the back of his shirt just in time. Even then they had trouble restraining him.

"_Remember your promise_!" Ken grunted with the difficulty of regaining control of his bucking bronco counterpart. Remembering giving Ken his promise, Ariyami quit struggling and straightened himself up. Then he and his two counter-siblings went red when they noticed the stares they were receiving from everyone. 

Everyone only began dispersing when Ariyami shouted, "Take a picture! It'll last longer, you spectating punks!" 

All in all, Ken was relieved to have entered the restaurant. When their waitress seated them, he wiped his face on his napkin. He was praying that Ariyami wouldn't do anything to make him look like a fool here, too. Right after their drinks were served (Ken ordered tea while Ariyuki and Ariyami ordered soda), the hostess called for a "Ken Ichijouji!" at the desk. Sighing in exasperated disbelief, he sat up, told Ariyuki, Ariyami, and their Digimon that he'd be back soon, and displeasingly walked over to the smiling hostess.

"Yes?" he asked, trying to sound polite.

"Oh, Mister Ichijouji. You have a call from a Mister Davis, I think. Or was is Donald? Um..." the hostess had a high-pitch voice and the memory of a gold fish.

"It's alright. I know him." said Ken, taking the phone from the hostess. She smiled again and went back to collecting bills from her very satisfied costumers.

Ken put the receiver to his ear. "Y-yes?" he asked hesitantly.

"_Dude, there you are_!" exclaimed Davis.

"How did you find me here?" Ken inquired while maintaining his civil manners.

" _I called your mom and she found your note telling where you'd be. C'mon_, _we gotta go_!" he explained.

"Now? Look, can't it wait? I'm trying to enjoy a nice lunch with my brothers here, Davis!" he waved a signal to Ariyami, who was standing and shrugging toward him. Ariyami sat back down.

__

"_Not unless you don't wanna catch this weird dude in the Digital World whose causing all this trouble_," Davis replied over the now static phone.

"What do ya mean? He struck _again_?!" he quickly lowered his voice because the hostess was now watching him, that silly grin still on her face.

"_Yeah_! _This time it was the Digimon Nursery_!" 

"No," Ken whispered in incredulity. "We'll be right there!" he gave the phone back to the now confused hostess, paid her for the drinks, and rounded up his little group.

"So, let me get this straight," said Ariyami, now back with Ken in his room and getting ready to go back to the Digital World. "There's nut case running around the Digital World and causing more trouble than Neomon could in a week. No offense, Little Buddy," he added to his irritable feline friend.

"That's right," said Ken, putting his black Digivice to the monitor screen. "Are you ready, Ariyuki?" Ariyuki gulped and nodded. "Alright. Let's go!" 

Ariyuki seemed to get better and better at not heaving during the trip to the Digital World. His stomach still churned, but he had no sinking, puking feeling this time. When they landed in the Digital World, their tense and determined air disappeared as they saw their surroundings; this time they landed at a beach. Ariyuki laughed with joy and ran over to the water, Midori at his heels.

"Who can pass up a day at the beach?" Ariyami asked Ken, shrugging and smiling with entertainment.

"_We_ can," came his tart reply.

"Oh, _come on_!" said Ariyami in an exasperated tone. "Let's have some fun for a change. You know,_ fun_? Then time when you don't have to save the World!"

"I'm sorry," said Ken sorely. He obviously wanted to relax in the warm sun too, "but we can't; I don't know about you, but I wanna put an end to whoever is hurting innocent Digimon here! Maybe, if he's anything like I was, we can help him!" Ken ran forward to get Ariyuki.

"Good luck," muttered Ariyami bitterly.

Ariyuki and Midori greatly resented being taken away from the bay where they were playing, but smiled again when Ken promised them they'd come back. "Wormmon, time to Digivolve!" said Ken, pointing his coal-black Digivice at Wormmon. Ten seconds later, a gigantic green insect with short, carrot red hair took to the skies with Ken and Ariyuki in its arms.

"Where to, Ken?" Stingmon asked.

"The Digimon Nursery, and step on it!" Stingmon obeyed and flew top speed; even Ariyami had difficulty keeping up. Ariyuki gazed around at the sky, his eyes shimmering with excitement. The sky was light blue and the wind they were flying against was warm. The ocean below them was a bright blue and shone like his eyes. He would pick this over traveling to the Digital World any day.

Soon they were passing over a thick forest to which Ariyami disappeared, only to reappear right in front of them several minutes later, scaring Ariyuki to death, and causing Ken to yell at him for the remainder of the journey. Finally, down below began looking familiar; the Nursery was near. Two minutes later, Ken, Ariyuki, Stingmon, Midori, and even Ariyami and Neomon gasped in horror; The Digimon Nursery had been completely destroyed. Stingmon landed clear of the rubble and Ken and Ariyuki leapt off.

Ken had some difficulty breathing; the shock of seeing the ruins of what was once a beautiful, loving home for baby Digimon had caused his own breath to catch in chest. Ariyuki approached a torn apart Digimon cradle, fell to his knees, and began to cry. 

"Ariyuki," whispered Ken, for he could barely speak. He knelt next to Ariyuki.

"This is horrible!" Ariyuki sobbed. "Who could do such a thing?" Then he heard a sound that made him snap his head up. A crying, or moaning from some place. It was coming from under a basket a few feet away.

He dashed over to it and knocked it over; there was Elecmon, bruised, and bleeding. There was a huge gash in his side. He was coughing and made an attempt to stand up. "Th-the babies," he muttered, gasping for air. Ariyuki watched as tears filled the old Digimon's eyes.

"What happened?" Ariyuki asked as Ken and Ariyami ran to see what they could do.

"Ya know," he grunted in response, "Ever si-since I heard of the...of the attack on the Digital World, I always thought it was...you. Boy was I _wrong_!" his eyes opened wide at the sight of Ariyami. "Oh, no. I must really be dying! The Digimon Emperor!"

Ariyami puffed up angrily like Yolei, but Ken shooed him away and made him look for the others. "Never mind him," said Ken, "Look, what _happened_ here?"

"We-we were attacked by a huge Digimon, that-that Kimeramon thing."

"No," Ken whispered in alarm. He remembered Kimeramon. He was his Digimon creation; Ken had built him from many different Digimon parts. However, since he added an arm from Devimon, he couldn't control him because of all the dark power it fed off from Ken, and Kimeramon went berserk, nearly killing him.

"Ye-yes," Elecmon was having extreme difficulty speaking now.

"Who did this?" Ken asked. "Did you see who-"

"Yeah, I saw that little punk," Elecmon snarled. "I'll _never_ forget that wicked grin on his damned evil face! When he first arrived here with a fistful of Dark Rings, I knew he was trouble, but I _never_ thought he'd be as dangerous as he was; he was extremely scrawny, wearing all black. His cloak kept his face hidden. All I could see was his impish little smirk. He and his army of enslaved Digimon tore this place apart in-in seconds."

"What happened to the babies?" Ariyuki budded in.

"They-they've all been..." he trailed off and more tears poured down his face. "They've all been captured and probably enslaved to do that damned filthy boy's bidding, being mercilessly tortured like all the rest. When he beat me down with his extremely strange whip and got ready to slip a ring on me, I rebounded and bit him on his arm. I paid...I paid terribly for that. Then he told me...'Next time you should know better than to oppose the _Digimon Sovereign's_ will.'" he began gasping for air. He didn't have much time left.

Ariyuki held Elecmon while Ken thought for a while. _So there is another lost soul like_ _me. We have to stop him quickly; if he recreated Kimeramon, his control over him won't last much longer_. "Did he have any companions with him?" Ken urged Elecmon.

"As a matter of fact...yes," grunted Elecmon. "There was another boy with him who seemed to be some sort of sidekick to him. He also had a Digimon on his shoulder. I knew it was his because there was no Dark Ring. It seemed to be some sort of cat Digimon with small, sharp, crystal-like eye-eyes."

"Hang in there!" Ken cried in alarm, watching helplessly as Elecmon began to writhe in pain.

"I think I can heal him, Ken," said Ariyuki hopefully. He held Elecmon close and focused his energy; he had gotten much better at this ever since he began training himself. Blue light began forming around Elecmon, but immediately the light vanished. Horrified, Ariyuki tried again, but there was no success. Then he began feeling it; Darkness everywhere, like some sort of spell; his Glacier Stone began making a soft humming sound.

"I can't do it," he said at last. "My magic won't work," Ariyuki started to cry into Elecmon.

Elecmon reached his paw and touched Ariyuki's shoulder. "Let me go," he murmured. "I fought bravely, I want to go in peace. I'm so tired right now..."

Ariyuki drew a shuddering breath, then put his hand to Elecmon's chest. "You need to sleep then." a dim blue light flashed for a second and Elecmon stopped breathing. Before he disappeared, Ariyuki saw that he was smiling. Even though he helped Elecmon die, he knew he did the right thing. He couldn't bear watching him suffer until death. 

Ariyuki was too overwhelmed. Sadness consumed him; fear consumed him; anger consumed him. Anger for the person responsible for all this. Tears streaking rapidly down his face, Ariyuki stared up at the sky. Ken slowly walked over and put a comforting hand on Ariyuki's shoulder.

Ariyuki gazed up at Ken, then fell against him, not unconscious, but very, very weary. A sudden twig snapping sound brought him back with alarm; Ariyami made his appearance, flanked by the rest of the Digidestined, all of whom were looking mournful.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Kari asked, wiping her eyes.

"That's one big understatement," said Ken, releasing Ariyuki. "Elecmon just died."

"I don't know, or care who this guy is, but he's gonna pay for this!" swore Yolei.

"C'mon, guys," said T.K. sadly, "There's nothing more we can do here today.

The trip back through the portal to the Real World was very sad and uneventful; Ariyami tried to cheer them up, but nothing doing. Ariyuki and Ken even found it hard to sleep, and Ariyami's nightmares were keeping him up late. Finally, he gave up sleep, got dressed, and flew off outside. It wasn't just the nightmares that kept him awake; he had to keep his eyes open for a certain person down on the streets.

Then, he saw him; a young-looking man in a black trench coat who beckoned Ariyami closer. Grinning, his flew down to meet his client. "Do you have it?" Ariyami asked with caution, glancing around, making sure no one was watching.

"Yes. Right here," he dug around one of his pockets and withdrew a green pendant that was glowing red in the center, "So, Ari, when am I gonna my payment?" he asked patiently.

"Trust me. You'll get it as soon as I can prepare it," Ariyami replied, staring at his new prize which was gleaming.

"I hope you hurry. I'm running out of time. You know what order they must be put, don't you, Ari?"

"Yeah, yeah. You told me, already," said Ariyami confidently.

The man scoffed. "You think you can handle anything, don't you, Ariyami? This is _not_ a task you can just run around and complete without the risk of failing. I am counting on you to _not_ do anything stupid. Is this clear to you?"

"You take them _way_ too seriously," said Ariyami, waving his hand. "Their protectors are far too weak to stand a chance against my magic."

"Whatever you say," the man turned and walked away. "Oh, and remember, Ari. There is more than magic involved in this." then the man seemed to disappear through the light fog.

Ariyami shrugged and flew off back home. The next morning, Ariyami awoke, stretching, and remembering last night. Smiling, he pulled his new pendant out from under his shirt, then tucked it back under. Back in the Digital World with everyone else, doing construction on the Digimon Nursery, he had the most pleased look on his face, but knew he had to hide it from the others.

"Does anybody have _any_ ideas on who this _Sovereign_ guy might be?" Ariyami finally asked, trying to change the subject on his mind.

"It could be Homito," suggested Davis, waving his hammer around and nearly decapitating Ken and Ariyuki. 

"You've _got_ to be kidding!" replied Kari, handing Yolei a bag of nails, "I mean, sure he's scary, but I don't think him smart, or careful enough to be the Sovereign."

"Well, let's recap on what Elecmon said," said Cody. "He said that this boy is scrawny and weak-looking. Do any of you guys know any scrawny or weak-looking guys?"

"None that I've seen," said Yolei.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared above Yolei. It was shaped like a hawk. She looked up and shrieked; a Biyomon with a Dark Ring attached to its leg swooped down and dropped something on her head, then flew away. "Get it of me!" she cried.

A piece of paper blew off her head and T.K. caught it. "It's a letter from the Sovereign!" he cried. Everyone gathered 'round to read the little piece of paper; it was in a neat handwriting:

_I know you are seeking me. If you really want to meet me so badly, meet me in the house that was originally meant for your demise, however the tables turned and you came out victorious. If you are looking for a reason to come, besides meeting me, I have something, or someone dear to you. I'll give you a hint, little lambs; this Digidestined is smart, but afraid of certain things. His dream is to be a Doctor, and he and his companion don't get along very well. If you don't meet me in the location I chose by five O'clock today, I'm afraid seeing him again won't be possible._

Digimon Sovereign

"That-that..." Davis couldn't finish his sentence, he was so angry.

"We know who that Digidestined is; it's Joe," said Kari.

"The house that was originally meant for our demise..." said T.K. thoughtfully. "Could he mean the Giga House?"

"There's no _other_ house around here, is there?" Ariyami asked mockingly to T.K.

"How do _you_ know about the Giga House?" Cody asked.

"When you fly around the Digiworld as much as me, you see things," he answered, beating his hammer against a plank of wood to hold it in place.'

"Well, I say we stop flailing our hammers around like slaves and go find and stop this Digimon Sovereign!" declared Davis.

"He's right!" announced Kari.

"Affirmative!" agreed Yolei.

"Then let's go kick some Sovereign butt!" T.K. shouted, pointed his Digivice to Patamon. In no time the Digidestined were in the air once again, making their way to the Giga House where they hoped to put an early end to The Digimon Sovereign. It was hard to miss a house like the Giga House; it seemed to belong to a giant.

About one hundred times larger than an ordinary house, it was host to basically all bug Digimon. It was strange that the Sovereign would choose a place like this to do battle or conversation, unless his Digimon was a bug type, but then again, Arukenimon also chose this house, most likely because of all the reinforcements and hiding places. Well, whatever to reason, the Digidestined were sure that this battle in the Giga House will go much easier than the last one. Once they landed on the soccer field-size welcome mat and their Digimon slid the porch door open, the Digidestined scrambled in and had a good look around; it seemed more clean than when they last saw it.

"Looks like Sovereign's been doin' some Spring Cleaning, huh?" said Davis. 

"Certainly seems that way," Ken replied, "Not even a speck of dust! Mom would _love_ to have him as our house cleaner."

"Hey, guys," Yolei budded in, "We are basically in the domain of The Digimon Sovereign. _Can _we focus?" suddenly, the porch door slid shut and the latch locked from the outside. They were locked in!

"Should have seen that one coming," said Ariyami.

Then, an all-out ambush took place. Roachmon ruptured from cabinets and Flymon flew down from air vents!

"This is sick!" shouted Yolei in disgust.

"Yolei, we'll handle this! You and the others just go and find the Sovereign! We'll catch up soon!" shouted Aquilamon, using his Grand Horn attack on three Flymon.

"You heard him, let's move it!" howled Davis.

"Let me stay and fight, Ariyuki!" commanded Midori, struggling to break free of Ariyuki's grip as he ran as fast as he could with the others.

"There's no way!" panted Ariyuki. "You can't Digivolve! You'll get yourself killed!"

"I'm with the little guy, Midori!" said Neomon from Ariyami's shoulder. Midori pouted, but agreed to stay with Ariyuki.

Hiding in a drawer, the Digidestined panted for breath, Kari and Cody leaning against a wall for support, while Yolei simply slid down it. "I...can't believe we...just did that!" cried Kari. "They might need...our help!"

"Well, there's nothing much more we can do now, except to find that Digimon Sovereign guy!" said Ariyami. "Worrying about our Digimon won't help anything."

"_Our_ Digimon?" cried Kari. "I don't see _your_ Digimon out there fighting! He's safe with you! For all we know, our Digimon could be-" suddenly, a giant hole was blasted through the drawer they were hiding in. Angemon, Aquilamon, Stingmon and the others ran through it.

"There you are!" cried Cody, "We were worried to death."

"Everything's alright now," said Angemon. "They didn't stand a chance."

"Told ya so," said Ariyami to Kari.

Then they all heard it; flute music from somewhere below. It was coming from an air vent under their feet. It wasn't the same bug-controlling song that Arukenimon played, however; this one was much different. Ken recognized the hauntingly beautiful melody as _Moonlight Lullaby_, a song that his mother used to play for him and Sam when they were much younger. Either this boy loved the _Moonlight Lullaby_ as much as Ken did, or he was mocking him.

"Do ya suppose that's where the Sovereign is?" T.K. asked.

"He obviously wants to lure us to him; something must be up," said Ken.

Then, without warning, the air vent opened up beneath them, and all eight Digidestined and their Digimon were swallowed by it. It was such a rough ride that their Digimon couldn't even regain control and fly. As they slid down faster and faster, they saw two separating chutes; one to the left, and one to the right. But this was only for a split second as they were all sent careening down the right one; all except Ariyami and Neomon, who were somehow forced to the left.

"_Ariyami_!" Kari's echoing call rang through the horrible chute. Finally, when everyone was starting to get very sick, they all shot out of the end of the shaft, thudding on dry dirt, which Davis accidentally inhaled when he was winded by Yolei crushing his stomach when she fell on him. He coughed and gagged.

"Where are we?" Cody asked, standing up and gazing around; the surroundings were quite dark, save for a few torches lighted against the wall. There seemed to be no way out, except for a rusty old door way to the right of them, which wouldn't open.

"I don't know, but I'll give Yolei till the count of three to get off of me!" snarled Davis. 

"Oh, Ariyami," whispered Kari, staring back up the chute. "I hope he's alright. I've been so horrible to him lately...We should all go look for him. Angewomon, let's go!"

"I would, Kari," Gatomon's light voice said, "But I can't Digivolve. In fact, I've Digivolve Downgraded."

"What? Why?" asked Kari.

Suddenly, the musical sound of the flute sounded all around them, causing their spines to tingle, but they couldn't see very well, because of the dim torches. However, the torches soon flared into life and they could now see all around them. Standing in the center of the room was the flute player. He wore gold and black garments and a black cloak, but he certainly wasn't scrawny or short for that matter; in fact, he was even taller than Ken.

"Who are you?" Ken demanded. 

The boy lowered his flute and smiled devilishly. "Well, I'm sure you've noticed that I'm not The Digimon Sovereign. I am called The _Digimon Baron_," his voice was impish and intimidating. 

"Yeah? Well, where is The Digimon Sovereign?" Davis inquired angrily, taking a step forward.

"Where's Joe?" T.K. shouted.

"His grace can't be here right now. He's out doing errands, you could say. However, he _did_ have me come here in his place until he comes back; and he also left this in my possession," he stood aside to reveal Joe on the floor, bound and gagged, and struggling to get free.

"_Joe_!" Kari made to run to him, but Yolei held her back.

"Don't do anything stupid, Kari. Remember, we're at _his_ mercy. He has all the good cards in his hand."

"And don't you forget that," The Baron said, "And you can forget about Digivolving; that won't work here. Not as long as _this_ is standing!" he pointed to his left and what the Digidestined saw startled them. It was a Control Spire! It towered to the ceiling and gave off a dark vibration. Ariyuki's Glacier Stone began humming loudly. "A little gift from my _ingenious_ master!"

Yolei spat in revulsion, "The way you worship that horrible little slime ball is disgusting!"

"_Why you_..." The Digimon Baron advanced on her, but then a voice stopped him.

"Don't worry about it, Baron; I heard every word." Out of the darkness of the ceiling fell a young boy draped in black with a dark cloak. He landed on his feet like a graceful black cat. This was surely the one and only Digimon Sovereign that Elecmon was referring to; he certainly _was_ skinny and slightly shorter than an average boy of his age. He couldn't be any taller than Kari. He also had a girlish voice like Ariyuki, though he wasn't as short.

"So _this_ is the _terrifying Digimon Sovereign _that all Digimon fear?" laughed Davis. "Come on! Demiveemon could beat him!"

"Uh, Davis," whispered Yolei nervously. "Please shut up."

"Yeah. Remember what Elecmon said? He said that the Sovereign was very dangerous, despite his height." Ariyuki informed them all.

The Sovereign smirked. "You have no idea." He raised his right hand and Cody began levitating. 

"Hey! Let me go!"

"Cody! Leave him alone, you jerk!" Yolei cried.

The Sovereign wasn't listening. Instead he waved his hand, and Cody was bashed against the wall behind him, and shackles burst from the wall, binding his wrists. In an instant, he had levitated all of the Digidestined and their Digimon, and constrained them to the wall with Cody. "You can't stop us that easily!" Davis roared. "You forgot our other forms of Digivolving. Veemon, Armor Digivolve!"

The Sovereign laughed shrilly, making Yolei and Ariyuki shiver with fear. "Don't you get it? You can't Digivolve here. See, when the ingenious Ken Ichijouji here created the Control Spires, even when he found out about the new form of Digivolving called 'Armor Digivolve' he still didn't know how to prevent that. I, however, have. And not only that. With my new and improved Control Spires you can't Digivolve, Armor Digivolve, or even DNA Digivolve." another sneer crossed his face.

"No," muttered Davis.

"You haven't won yet, Sovereign!" Kari cried. "You haven't captured all of us! Ariyami's still out there! He'll come for us!"

"Ariyami?" the Sovereign chuckled, "_He_ certainly won't come for you. He was the one who helped bring you here in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Yolei asked, while Kari gasped in horror.

"Oh, don't you get it yet?" he was clearly amused by all this, "He's been working for us since day one." his grin broadened at the petrified looks on all their faces. "Why else do you think we made him slip down the other chute? To make it _look_ like you were accidentally separated!"

"No," Kari whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

"Oh, poor little Digi-fools," simpered the Digimon Sovereign, "but you should have known or at least guessed it. Darkness will _always_ be Darkness. Remember that."

"Look, Sovereign, you don't understand," said Ken, "You're probably exactly like me. You should know, the lives you're tampering with are _real_! This isn't just some game!"

"Silence, Incompetent _worm_!" snarled the Digimon Baron. "My Master knows all about that. He's not a fool like you were!"

"No, he's even worse!" cried T.K. "To know what he's doing wrong and still continuing! You're worse than Ken ever could be! I hope you learn your lesson in a far more painful way than Ken-Ahh!" he was silenced by a long, thin, crimson cord. It seemed to be made of energy like that of Ariyami's beam swords. It left a vicious cut on T.K.'s cheek.

"That's that strange whip that Elecmon told us about!" exclaimed Ariyuki.

"Smart little tyke, isn't he? I carry many more weapons than just a whip, though. And if you ever talk to me like that again, T.K. I'll make your life a living Hell." the Sovereign said coolly.

"Why are you doing this?" Cody asked.

"_That_ is none of your business!" he snapped loudly.

"Please, listen to me," said Ken desperately, "I don't know what your problem is, but we can help you. I promise we can."

"Oh, don't talk me down with that 'Don't step to the path of revenge' talk, Ken!" the Sovereign retorted, "Trust me, after being fooled by that talk for years the effect kinda wears off." he then began pacing down the rows of Digidestineds, seemingly searching for something. "Which one should I dispose of first?" he asked The Baron.

"That _is_ kinda hard," he replied, checking out Yolei. "They're all pests to me."

"I know, where's that one who told me I'm even worse than Ken? I think he'll go first." he spotted T.K. and unsheathed a long, slender, silver sword. "I think this will be much fun." 

He aimed the sword right at T.K.'s heart. T.K. started panting for breath; with death so close, he wanted to cry. The Sovereign prepared to thrust it into T.K when the door clear to the right of them all burst open.

"What's going on in here?" it was Ariyami! The second he and the Sovereign saw each other, their eyes locked. "What do you think you're doing to them?!"

The Sovereign sneered. "I didn't expect you to get through that maze so quickly, Ariyami."

Ariyami, too sneered. "When you learn how to go through walls, you know how to get around quickly." energy began to gather in his hand. He was preparing to attack.

All the Digidestined and Digimon were confused. That is, until Ariyuki spoke up. "You lied to us!" he shrieked. "Ariyami would never betray us! You're a rotten liar!" Then it all became clear to him; Kii's warning: "Beware of false information,". The Sovereign knew that if the Digidestined escaped alive, they'd never trust their most powerful ally again! It would make reaching his goal (whatever that might be) even easier without Ariyami in the way!

"I knew I should have made that maze more difficult," the Sovereign said simply. "Oh, well. No matter. With only you as my obstacle, victory should be easy."

"Big words, little fella. I wouldn't count on it, though." he summoned a red beam sword and aimed it at The Digimon Sovereign.

"Ariyami!" Ken shouted, "Please try not to kill him! Try to capture him if you can!"

"Why?" Ariyami asked. Then he understood and sighed in exasperation. "Alright. Alright. You got lucky, little guy. Looks like death isn't your only option."

"Why do you care so much about him?" Yolei asked. "He just tried to kill T.K.-"

"And how many times have I tried to kill you all?" Ken replied angrily, "You guys were able to stop me without killing me, maybe we can do the same for him!"

The battle was on between Ariyami and the Sovereign. He whipped out his silver rapier again and assumed a dueling position, his legs straddled out .

Ariyami chortled. "I can sense that you don't have much force, little fella. I don't think fighting me is the smartest decision you ever made."

"Hmph, what I lack in strength, I make up for agility," he retorted proudly.

"Let's hope you have a lot of it."

Since it was clear that the Sovereign was a defensive fighter, Ariyami was forced to charge. For the moment, forgetting his word to Ken, he made a powerful thrust for the boy's torso, but he jumped high into the air, did a flip, and landed lightly and gracefully behind Ariyami. Impressed, Ariyami doubled back and made another swipe, but The Sovereign did a one handed cartwheel out of Death's reach. He spun around quickly and flung his blade up in defensive position just in time; Ariyami brought his beam sword hurtling down upon him and their blades locked. It was true that Ariyami was much stronger than the boy; he used his power and forced the Sovereign to his knees, all the while the Sovereign kept his sword up in desperation to stay alive.

Ariyami didn't understand; it seemed as though the Sovereign was letting up on purpose. Was it something to do with his sword? He decided to find out by bluffing. 

"Your one mistake, kid," he began, "is that my sword can cut through yours like wet paper!" it worked; though he couldn't see the Sovereign's eyes, it was doubtless by his gasp of horror that there was something about that sword. Ariyami raised his sword high into the air to make a finishing move to rid him and the others of that sword, however precious it might be. 

"Ariyami, don't!" screamed Ken.

It was too late; the blade when swishing down and made direct contact with the silver rapier. A mighty explosion took place and knocked Ariyami backwards and the Sovereign off his feet. The sword in the Sovereign's hand was glowing a dark, murky color, the same dark energy that surrounded Ken when he was the Digimon Emperor, and had no scratch or mark; nothing at all to suggest that it had even been in battle.

"What _is_ that thing?" he asked in astonishment, standing up again.

The Sovereign smiled more gratefully than proudly. "My sword can do many things, Mister Ichijouji; that's why I count on it more than my energy whip."

Ariyami concentrated his energy again and formed another (though not as bright) red beam sword. "Here I come!" he warned.

Attempting many different skills and movements to try to stab each other, Ariyami and the Sovereign's swords kept clashing together, creating flashes of lightning, many times almost hitting one of the Digidestined or their Digimon. The Sovereign wasn't joking about his speed; he was very nimble and quick, and parried Ariyami's thrusts with the greatest of ease. Now it was the Sovereign's turn; he took Ariyami by surprise by swerving behind him and nearly hacking off his head. He kept leaping into the air and using aerial dive attacks on him. Finally, Ariyami was forced to take to the air.

"Now who's got the upper hand?" Ariyami asked tauntingly from above.

"You just keep playing more and more into my hand," The Sovereign murmured to himself. Then, he leapt up high into the air, and to Ariyami's great shock, he stayed there. The Digimon Sovereign could fly too! "It seems the sky is my element too, Ariyami."

_Great, this guy can fly_, Ariyami though bitterly to himself. _Oh, well. How much better can he really be in the air_? He soon found out; if he thought the Sovereign was speedy on ground, he was nearly ten times faster in the air, almost like a black streak of lightning to the Digidestined down below. Now Ariyami was obligated to do the dodging. The Sovereign performed deadly uppercuts and swipes to Ariyami's head. However, it wasn't long until Ariyami made a wrong move and the Digimon Sovereign swung at his chest viciously; it cut a whole in Ariyami's shirt, but only did minimal damage to his torso; he was bleeding slightly.

"You're way better than I gave you credit for, kid," Ariyami grunted, wiping some blood away from his chest, "Now let's see what I can do."

"I'll be right here, waiting," egged on the Sovereign.

Ariyami made his sword disappear. He was going to fight the Sovereign with his bare hands. The boy in turn plunged his sword back into its blue and silver sheath. Ariyami charged forth and delivered a hard punch at the Sovereign's face. He staggered in mid-air while The Baron below gasped.

Then, without warning The Sovereign shot forward and blew an uppercut to Ariyami's chin. However, instead of trying to regain his position like the Sovereign expected, he disappeared. Alarmed, the boy search all around him; then Ariyami materialized right behind him and grabbed his arms, restraining him. Shocked, the Sovereign went nuts to escape; he twisted and struggled, desperate to break the strong grip of Ariyami.

"Woah! Calm down, Little Guy. You've lost this battle," Ariyami informed the Sovereign, tightening his grip on his wriggling thin wrists.

"Not quite yet," The Sovereign yanked his arms forward and sunk his small sharp teeth into Ariyami's arm, actually drawing blood. Ariyami shrieked and released The Sovereign.

"Alright! Score one more for The Master!" cheered The Digimon Baron excitedly.

"Ariyami, are you alright?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, but that _thing _is like a vicious little wolverine! I bet if he ever got his arm caught in a trap, he'd chew it right off!" yelled Ariyami in fury, cradling his wound. Then, the next thing Ariyami felt was a heavy blow to his head, and everything began growing dim as he hit the ground, unconscious. The Digimon Sovereign had struck him in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword.

"No!" screamed Neomon.

"Ariyami!" Ariyuki shrieked.

The Sovereign landed back on the ground, looking pleased with himself. "That takes care of that. "Now, I think-" but he immediately stopped, his eyes focused on Ariyuki. The little Digidestined was angrier than he'd ever been in his life. 

"You hurt my brother!" he cried. "I'll make you pay for that!" his Glacier Stone at the collar of his neck shone more brightly than it ever had before. The restraints shattered from his and Midori's wrists. Then, the blue stone broke free of Ariyuki's collar and hovered in front of him. The light was blinding and Ariyuki was forced to squint.

The Glacier Stone seemed to turn into a blue liquid form, then it expanded to a slightly bigger size. At once a burst of light erupted in the room, causing the Digimon Sovereign and Baron to shield their eyes with their arms, and the Digidestined were forced to clamp their eyes shut. When the light dimmed, the shape in front of Ariyuki became more solid. The light disappeared and the thing dropped into Ariyuki's hands. It was a Digivice! Completely white and looked just like the others'; he could still feel a vibration, as though the blue stone was inside it.

Ariyuki somehow knew what to do. He aimed the Digivice to Midori. "Midori, _Crystal Digivolve_!" White light burst from the Digivice and surrounded Midori. 

She could feel complete power filling her. "Kailomon, Crystal Digivolve to," as the light surrounded her, Midori felt herself and her power grow. She felt herself becoming more human, "Mysticmon!" She now appeared as a tall and very beautiful woman. Her hair was blue, her clothes were blue, and her eyes were blue. Her skin was so pale, it appeared blue. She had extremely long ears and seemed too lovely to look at.

"What the Hell is that?!" The Sovereign demanded. "I thought no Digimon could Digivolve as long as the Control Spire stood!"

"I think you need to learn a lesson, young boy," Midori's enchanting voice rang out. "I think I should be the one to teach you it." Midori stepped forth, her hand outstretched. The Sovereign tried to run, but Midori's piercing gaze made him stop in his tracks. He was paralyzed.

The beautiful Digimon was only feet away from the boy, but then a hissing sound alerted her. She gazed down to see what looked like a white version of Neomon. The same sharp crystal eyes. "You must be his Digimon," noted Midori, "I think you should stand back; fighting me will end your young life."

"Back off!" the shrill voice of the white Digimon barked. "I won't let you come anywhere near my master!"

"This reminds me of you and me when I was the Digimon Emperor," said Ken to Wormmon.

"I know," he replied.

"I implore you, Digimon, to step aside," Midori's soft voice grew stern. When the Digimon still refused to move, Midori sighed. "I really don't want to hurt you, but you leave me no choice. Evil must be punished, both your master and his friend. They have done extremely wrong. Can't you see that?"

"The only thing I see is a big blue Digimon whose intentions are to harm my master!" it howled.

Midori looked sad and conjured up a bright blue light. "Please understand," she whispered, "Twilight Flash!" she aimed the blue ball at the white Digimon, but it leapt out of the way just in time. It was just as fast as its master. It zipped around, came back, and slashed Midori's face, causing blood to flow.

It ran back its master's side. "Now it's out turn," said the Sovereign, whose paralysis had worn off. He whipped out a silver Digivice and pointed it at his Digimon. "Shinomon, Digivolve!"

"Shinomon, Digivolve to," Shinomon also began to take a different shape. She grew tall and, from the vibration in Ariyuki's Digivice, also grew strong. "Kuromon!" Another woman stood before them. She was as tall as Midori only she wore a black tunic, breeches and boots, and was also equipped with a sword. Her floor-length hair was black, her skin was pale, and her eyes seemed like pools of Darkness themselves.

"Wha...I thought no Digimon could Digivolve with the Control Spire!" shouted Davis.

"Do you really think I had those rules apply to _me_?" The Sovereign inquired, laughing. "Now, let's see whose Digimon is the strongest. Kuromon, charge!"

Obeying her master's orders, Kuromon shot off toward Midori, unsheathed her sword, and hacked at her. Midori disappeared just in time as the sword struck the ground where she was standing, causing shards of dungeon rock to break apart; it appears one of Midori's attacks is teleportation. "Come out, you coward!" Kuromon shrieked at the ceiling.

"As you wish," echoed her voice. She reappeared right behind Kuromon and sent a wave of blue light slashing out at her. Kuromon let out a yell of pain, then whipped around and sent black flames toward Midori; they encircled her and cut off her Twilight flash. Midori felt the burning flames of Darkness consume her. If she didn't escape soon, she'd surely perish. Midori wanted dearly to scream for help, but couldn't; she now felt weak and fell to her knees; her vision blurred.

She was falling; falling through a sea of black flames. She could hear Kuromon's cold laugh of triumph, and Ariyuki's desperate call for her to get up. At that moment, she hated Kuromon, she hated the Sovereign and his companion. She covered her ears and screamed; she wanted it all to just go away. Then, all at once the pain ceased; the black flames stopped.

Midori, panting and sweating, forced herself back onto her feet. What had happened. Looking up, she saw that Ariyami had regained consciousness and was wrestling with Kuromon. "You keep your filthy black hands off of her!" she heard him shout.

"Back off, boy!" Kuromon replied angrily, struggling to throw Ariyami off her back. She then seized his left leg, and threw him around in circles, finally letting go, and sending him careening into a wall. In so much pain he couldn't even scream, Ariyami slid to the ground. Kari cried out his name and struggled with her chains.

Ariyami gazed up and saw Kuromon standing over him. Her face set, she unsheathed her sword again and raised it high. Then, with a cry, she brought it swishing down and made contact with his chest. A great explosion took place; green and red light flashed brightly and Kuromon was sent hurtling backwards against the other side of the wall. The light dimmed and slowly disappeared.

Astounded and shocked, Ariyami dug around his shirt and withdrew his green and red pendant that he got from the man on the streets. Sighing gratefully at the Stone of Armor, he stood himself back up. All the Digidestined sighed with relief.

"What _was_ that thing?" The Sovereign asked, stupefied.

"Just a little extra protection," said Ariyami smugly, tucking the pendant back down his shirt, "And by the looks of it, I think your Digimon's out of commission." He pointed toward Kuromon, who was slumped against the wall, apparently unconscious. 

"Oh, well," said the Sovereign coolly, "We win some, we lose some. Let's go, Baron." he added to his fuming companion.

"Don't you dare think this is over, Digi-_worms_!" shouted the Digimon Baron. "There are more things we own other than Control Spires and Dark Rings! We also own an old toy of the Digimon Emperor's, and a few good tricks!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Davis, "Well, we can take anything you jerks throw at us." 

"Indeed?" said the Digimon Sovereign. "I just don't know how you'll catch us in the Real World, when you don't even know who we really are." And with that, he scooped up his knocked out Shinomon, blasted a huge hole in the roof, and disappeared through it, The Digimon Baron grumbling along the way.

"He thinks he's so smart," mumbled Cody.

"Forget him for now," said Ariyuki, helping Ariyami break the shackles holding their friends, "You okay, Midori?"

"Yes," said Midori, releasing her power back into Ariyuki's white Digivice and transforming back into a rookie. 

"What do you think he meant by 'an old toy of the Emperor's'?" asked Ken, rubbing his wrists where the chains were biting into them.

"Well, could he be talking about Kimeramon?" suggested Yolei.

Ken shook his head. "I doubt it. I never considered Kimeramon as a toy, but instead an ultimate weapon."

"Well, guys," Patamon budded in, "I hate to be a baby, but I really wanna go home now."

"Me too," whined Armadillomon.

"I think that's an excellent idea," said Hawkmon.

"I agree," said Kari. "However, we need to destroy that Control Spire before any of our Digimon can Digivolve again."

"Midori," asked Ariyuki, "Do you think you have enough energy to Digivolve once more and destroy that thing?"

"It would be my pleasure, Ariyuki."

Midori, with some difficulty, Crystal Digivolved again and shot her powerful Twilight Flash toward the Control Spire, shattering it. 

So, the eight Digidestined managed to escape from the Giga House alive once more, but worry sunk in to all of them. What is this Sovereign boy up to? As Kari rode Nephertimon forward, she spotted Ariyami and Neomon, and urged Nephertimon to go faster. "Ariyami?" she asked rather shyly once she caught up to him.

Ariyami turned to talk to her. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for saving us back there," she began to go red.

"Yeah, no problem," though he didn't know why, he too went red.

"Yes, and we apologize for believing that Sovereign boy that you were on their side," Nephertimon added.

"Well, if I hadn't shown up, you _would_ have believed him, huh?" said Ariyami.

Kari had trouble looking at him, "Yes, we probably would have. We should learn to have more faith in our friends, right?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt," said Ariyami truthfully.

Kari smiled, then flew off to talk to Yolei.

"Gee, whatever happened to 'I don't like girls', Ariyami?" asked Neomon impishly.

"Lay off, Neomon," said Ariyami, shaking off his giddy, blushy feeling.

Back through the portal in the Digital World and back to home, Ariyami, Ken, and Ariyuki fell wearily onto the couch in the living room. "And I thought all of our fighting evil days were over," Ken whined, rubbing the back of his neck.

"There you are, sweeties. How was your day today? Anything new in the Digi World?" asked their mother once she left the kitchen.

"Nope," said Ken. "Well, there _is_ a new guy in the Digital World, trying to destroy it. We'll be spending more time there for a while," he added, acting like this was no big deal. He knew that if he didn't make a big deal out of it, Molly wouldn't panic.

"Oh, dear. I hope you boys will be alright." 

"Hey, Mom, you're forgetting that we're the Great Digidestined! Nothing can stop us!" exclaimed Ariyami with pride.

"Of course, dears," said Molly happily, returning to the kitchen to stir the noodles.

After dinner, back in Ken's room, getting changed for bed, Ariyuki had a sudden question for Ariyami. "Ariyami, where'd ya get that weird stone?"

"Oh, this?" Ariyami took his necklace off. "This is the Stone of Armor. I got last night from a guy I know here, in exchange for this." he whipped out a bottle of green liquid. It looked disgusting.

"What is it?" Ariyuki asked, holding his stomach.

"They're multiple herbs that grow in the Digital World. They're each one of a kind, and are protected by fierce Digimon. They have magical properties, though I can't tell you what they are, if mixed in the right order. I made myself invisible and snuck around the Digimon, in order to avoid a battle, and stole them."

"Why would that guy want a magical potion?" Ken asked.

"I'm not really allowed to say, nor do I really wanna tell you," said Ariyami. "Nothing personal, I just wanna keep this guy's secret. Well, good night." and Ariyami flew through the wall.

"What do ya think the potion's for?" Ariyuki asked Ken, tilting his head in a cute manner. 

Ken chuckled. "I really don't know," he said, picking Ariyuki up, "But what I _do _know is that it's time for bed." He tucked Ariyuki in, giving him a hug, and climbed the latter to the top bunk.

"Good night, Ken," said Ariyuki, stroking Midori as she purred on his chest.

"Good night, Ariyuki," Ken replied, hugging his own Digimon.

Meanwhile, Ariyami scanned the streets, searching for his client. There, down by a trashcan, he spotted him. He flew down and greeted him with a hearty handshake. 

"Do you have it?" asked the man in the black trench coat eagerly.

"You betcha." he whipped out the green potion and the man took it quickly. Tears then formed in his eyes and he swiftly hugged Ariyami gratefully. "Oh, thank you, Ari! Thank you! Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get this back to my daughter."

"Do ya think it'll work in time?" Ariyami asked, patting the man's back in alarm.

"Yes. Thanks to you, her eye sight will prevail, at least until the operation in three months."

"Tell her I said hi, Alan!" Ariyami called after his friend, who was walking rather quickly. Feeling good about himself, Ariyami yawned and flew off into the night, eager to get back home and sleep.

However, while all the Digidestined were sleeping, The Digimon Sovereign was still awake in his base, though reluctantly. He typed rapidly on the keyboard which was embedded in the walls. Technology surrounded him; mainly keyboards and monitors, but there were some devices such as new weapons he and The Baron were working on, and some blueprints on more powerful Dark Rings. Shinomon was snoozing on The Sovereign's chair, apparently healed from her last battle with Ariyami.

"These Digidestined are going to get in my way," the Sovereign said to himself, typing the last bit of information on Kimeramon's energy process. "I think it's time I found out who they were. He entered the name "Kari" (last name not needed because the Digital World computer has information only on the people who have been in the Digital World for more than one day total) and a short description appeared. _Kari, the Digidestined of Light. The owner of Gatomon, Angewomon, and Sylphymon. Darkness is her weakness, and can be easily corrupted or defeated by it._

Grinning, the Sovereign entered "T.K.". Another short description appeared. _T.K., the Digidestined of Hope. The owner of Patamon, Angemon, and Shakkoumon. Has no real weakness and has a rebellious heart that can lead to short tempers. Seemingly one of the strongest Digidestineds._

"That could be a setback," said the Sovereign coolly. "The only other one I want to worry about is Ken. He was once the Digimon Emperor and probably knows more about me than any of the other Digidestineds." he keyed in "Ken,". _Ken, The Digidestined of Kindness. The owner of Wormmon, Stingmon, and Paildramon. The weakest of Darkness and the shyest of the group. Would do anything to stop all Darkness, even though he knows it's impossible. Knows Darkness more than any other Digidestined; was once the Digimon Emperor. _

"Well, I'm impressed," remarked the Digimon Sovereign. He then yawned and stretched, then gathered up Shinomon, and headed for bed. "One day, I'll get what I came for, and no Digidestined, whether they're trying to protect it or not, is going to stand in my way."

"That's the spirit, Master," yawned Shinomon. The Sovereign chuckled and scratched her head.

"Good night, Shinomon."


	6. Ch6: Ken's new friend

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori/Mysticmon, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Alan (though he rarely appears), Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere (more to come in future chapters). I don't own The Digidestined or their parents. I thank Evil Little Person, DDestined 9, Ken's Luver, and Heath 999 for all your reviews. You really make my day!! My character, Lilith Tsutomo looks nothing like me!_

Chapter Six:

Ken's New Friend

"No, Ken!! Don't leave us here alone again!" Ariyami was clinging on to Ken's leg on the ground, preventing him from going out the door.

"Ariyami, I have to go to school! I've told you this already! Ariyuki will play with you! Get off of my leg!" Ken was now resorting to using his book bag to pry Ariyami away.

Ariyuki laughed his high-pitch guffaw at the hilarious sight. "Don't worry, Ariyami," he said, walking over and petting Ariyami on the head like some sort of dog. "We'll come with him, right Ken?" 

"_No_!" shouted Ken instantly, using every bit of his energy to finally disconnect Ariyami from his leg joint. "I'm sorry, guys, but if you go any school, it'll have to be different from mine. My school is for gifted kids, you could say." Ariyuki's beseeching eyes tugged at Ken's heart, though. "Look, if I promise to take you both to Keichoe's when I get back, will you let me go?"

The counterparts' faces instantly lit up. "_Yeah_!" they cried together.

"Thanks, guys," said Ken, waving and shutting the door. Once starting down the sidewalk toward his school, Ken began to chuckle to himself. Ariyuki and Ariyami, though it was hard to admit since Sam died, had completed his life. They were funny and playful and never wanted to leave him. He wished these days would never end.

Even with these fond memories, however, there still remained the Digimon Sovereign to brood over. He didn't know why he wasn't as angry with him as everyone else. The Sovereign had recreated one of the most dangerous Digimon in the Digital world, Kimeramon, enslaved countless innocent Digimon, and rebuilt the Control Spires and gave them new power. Why didn't he hate the Sovereign like everyone else? Could it be that he knows that the Sovereign is no different from him when he was the Digimon Emperor?

Nearly getting run over by a van brought him back to his senses. He shook his head and made the way to the entrance of his gigantic school. Being Mr. Punctual, he arrived in class early and took his assigned seat at the front of the class, an empty desk and chair next to him; that desk had always been there. He'd use it for placing his extra work on. After ten eventless minutes, the chiming school bells rang, alerting students to get to class.

Soon classmates began pouring into the classroom, not surprised to see Ken there already. No one ever talked to Ken; they all thought he was trying to be the teacher's pet, or was attempting to show off. Many boys spread rumors of Ken behind his back, and many girls tried to get a date with him. School was always lonely for Ken; the people who tried to hang out with him never liked him for who he really was. All they cared about was that he was famous.

Just then the teacher spoke up. "Alright children. Alright; settle down. _Hey_!" he bellowed to two boys who were shooting rubber bands at each other. They immediately discontinued. Still eying them, he added, "Well, as you all know we had homework for the weekend, so get it out-_Oh_!"

He stopped as though he just remembered something; "But first, class, we have a new student joining us today," he indicated the door and it opened. Everyone turned around to see who it was. Girls looked to see if it was a cute boy or popular-looking girl; most boys wanted to see who their new victim would be. Even Ken decided to get a glance at the new kid.

The person who stood in the doorway was a young girl. She was about an inch shorter than Ken with bright red hair that was short and bobbed like his. As a matter of fact, the only difference in shape between his hair and hers was that she had short bangs covering her forehead. She had shimmering big blue eyes and her cheeks were tinged red from blushing with embarrassment. She trotted up to the front of the room, somehow giving a strong sense that she was a strong person, her gray pleated school uniform skirt breezing from side to side.

"Everyone, this is Lilith Tsutomo. She's been spending some time in Kyoto, one of our capitals, if you've been doing your geography, and is now here in Tokyo to stay. Isn't that right?" he kindly asked.

Lilith nodded, "Yes, me and my brother and mentor will be here for a few years," her voice, even though it was full of shyness, had a ton of confidence.

"Well, Lilith, you may take the empty desk next to Ken. That desk has been empty for months now."

Lilith numbly strolled next to Ken and seated herself, hastily unlatching and opening her black book bag. While the teacher began lecturing everyone on the subject on France, something Ken already knew all about, Ken decided to try to make friends with the new girl, Lilith. He whispered a "Hello," to her, and she turned and smiled, her head tilted cutely. Ken realized, with the blushing of his cheeks, that Lilith was very pretty; he quickly turned away, and Lilith giggled silently, not catching the teacher's attention.

_She must think I'm a real idiot_, Ken thought furiously to himself.

When class was over, Ken caught up with Lilith while she walked hastily down the hall. "Hey," he called.

Lilith turned around, her face in an angry expression as though she were about to cry. When she saw Ken, however, her face brightened considerably. "Hey," she replied shyly.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned about the mistiness in her ocean-like eyes.

"Yeah, fine," she said, completely giving away that she way lying.

Ken realized what was wrong when the two boys from his class passed and pointed at Lilith, laughing. "I wouldn't worry about them," he said, glaring at the duo, "They just think it's cool to pick on the new kid, even if they are nice and pretty." he smiled sincerely, making Lilith produce a smile that wasn't shy, but blissful. Then they both laughed, Lilith clutching her school bag tightly.

"Thanks. I never thought I'd meet a friend on my first day. Um, what was your name again? The teacher only mentioned your name once," she bent her head down with mock shame.

Ken chuckled, "It's Ken. Ken Ichijouji," he went red, "Uh, I expect you know all about me-" he stopped in amazement at the blank look on her face. "Do you?"

"I don't think so. And I'm pretty good with faces." 

Ken smiled happily; she didn't know who he was, meaning she didn't know he was famous. "Hey, I was wondering if I could see you for lunch. Maybe by the garden by the school?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" she said delightfully. "Oh, of course I'll have to bring Will..."

"Who's Will?" Ken asked.

"Oh, Will's sort of my bodyguard," she blushed, "See, my parents had a huge-uh- amount of money, you could say. And this boy-Will and his family have been serving our family for generations. So a guardian's kinda been passed down to me to protect me from...well, you know..."

"Yeah, I get it," said Ken. She was talking about a mentor and bodyguard. It's obvious that her parents are very rich if she had a guardian that followed her everywhere. "Well, I'll see ya at lunch then."

"Sure! bye!" and she took off for her class. Ken grinned and made his way to English. 

When the lunch bell finally rang, Ken dashed to his locker, grabbed his lunch box, and bolted for the garden. Once he made it to the colorful field of flowers outside the school, he seated himself on the bench, and waited for Lilith. The garden was quiet, save for the sound of fish jumping in the pond ahead; he was the only one there, and went red in the face at the thought of him and Lilith being alone. Five minutes later, Lilith made her appearance, ducking under tree branches. Ken waved at her and she sat down next to him.

"Where's Will?" he asked.

"I went by the school to get him, but he wasn't there. I guess he decided to go wandering," said Lilith, pulling some biscuits out of her lunch box.

"So, what do you think of Tokyo?" Ken asked, stuffing a heap of rice in his mouth.

"Nothing new," replied Lilith, breaking off a piece of biscuit and handing some to Ken, "I've always lived here. I just went to Kyoto for a tour." she smirked as though this was obvious.

"Oh," said Ken, feeling like an idiot.

Lilith seemed to guess what he was thinking. "Don't worry about it. Hey, I forgot what your name was, remember?" she added cheerfully, taking a drink of her bottle of orange soda. She sighed happily once she pulled the bottle away from her mouth. "This would have to be my favorite drink."

Ken began to chuckle distractingly. "What?" Lilith asked, taking another swig of her soda.

"I was just thinkin', the more I get to know you, the more nicer you seem." Lilith pulled her soda away from her mouth. "Thanks; you too."

"I mean, your life seems perfect. When I look at you, I see no worries, no troubles, no...pain..." Ken's voice trailed off, thinking of his own life.

Then he heard Lilith stand up next to him, her orange soda held loosely in her hand. "If you only knew my life," she began, "It's almost the very opposite as you described. My life isn't perfect...not at all, really. I mean, no one's life is perfect, but...Ever since..."

"Ever since what?" Ken asked, standing up.

Lilith turned to face him. "It's nothing, really," she put on a fake look of cheerfulness. Just then, the end of lunch bell rang. It was time to get back to class. "Oh, gosh. Bye, Ken!" and Lilith hurriedly gathered her things and took off.

As Ken waved good-bye, he looked down at his feet. He saw a notepad; the name on the cover said "Property of _Lilith_. _DO NOT ENTER_!". It must belong to her. Ken tried calling out to her, but she was long gone. Feeling guilty about prying, he opened the notepad.

"What the..." he whispered in awe. Every page contained a drawn or sketched picture. The first page had a rough, yet clearly done design of what looked like Stingmon. The next picture held a Nephertimon. Shocked, he skimmed through the pages until he came across the final page.

This page had him as the Digimon Emperor, outfit and all, gazing out into space, a bird perched on his arm. "Where did Lilith get these?"

Meanwhile, back at home, Ariyami floated lazily above the sofa, watching _Goddess Rampage_. He yawned and stretched his arms and legs. Ariyuki was in Molly's bedroom, trying to learn how to knit. 

"So close, Ariyuki," Molly complimented. "Here. You make the loop right here. Very good!" she hugged her pleased son tightly.

"Mama, when's Ken gonna get home?" Ariyuki asked, continuing his knitting.

"Well, I expect in about two hours, sweetie," she told him, tousling Ariyuki's long blue hair. A sudden mewing at Molly's feet made her look down. Midori had come to demand attention. She hopped on the bed and purred in contentment while Molly and Ariyuki, giggling, stroked Midori's green fur.

"What's all the laughing about?" Ariyami strolled into the room, Neomon settled on his shoulder.

"Nuthin'," said Ariyuki, "Hey, is Goddess Rampage still on?"

"Yeah, about ten more minutes," admitted Ariyami, ambling back into the living room.

Ken watched the clock on the wall, feeling tormented. Is the clock playing with his mind? Just one more minute and school would be out. This seemed to be the longest minute in the history of time!

Just then he remembered Lilith's notepad and opened it again; there were rough pictures of Angemon, X Veemon, and even a Wormmon. Ken frowned, wondering if Lilith was another Digidestined or a Sovereign spy. Just then the school bell rang and Ken gathered his things and left the building as fast as he could; he spotted Lilith standing near a bench, digging through her bag frantically, apparently searching for something. A stern anger filled inside Ken and he stiffly stepped forth and waved the notepad in front of her. She stared at Ken's set face, a scared expression on her own face, for only a second before snatching the notepad, gazing at the ground.

Before Ken said anything, Lilith spoke first. "Please don't be angry with me. I just-"

"_Why didn't you tell me about any of this_?" he bellowed, making Lilith flinch.

"I didn't because I didn't-Well, I didn't want you to think I was...well, some kind of...weirdo."

"Huh?" Ken's anger turned into confusion. Lilith looked up, her arms in a kind of flimsy defensive position in case he was going to hit her. Ken loosened up. "Where exactly _did_ you get those pictures?"

Lilith hesitated. "You promise you won't laugh?"

Ken, not expecting such a response, nodded.

Lilith smiled, blushing. "I dreamt about them," she admitted, holding her notepad tightly.

"You dreamt about them?" Ken asked, totally stunned.

"Yes, and I remember them vividly, and according to my...uh, book, if you can remember dreams this strong, it means something's trying to reach you, or tell you something important." she had an excited, sort of mysteriousness in her voice.

"What book says this?" Ken inquired. Lilith went bright red and dug around her book bag, withdrawing a small, hard cover book that read, "_Dreams of Divination_." "So, you study witchcraft?"

Lilith looked stunned. "Of course not! I study magic! It's a _big_ difference."

Not knowing what this difference was, Ken started to laugh.

"What? What did you think I drew these pictures for?" she asked, laughing herself.

"Nothing. Never mind. Hey, I want you to meet a few friends of mine. I think they might really like you-Oh, man!" said Ken, straightening up.

"What is it?" Lilith asked, latching her book bag once more.

"I promised my brothers I'd take them to get ice cream. Darn it!" Ken kicked the ground.

"Well, that's not problem, I'll come with you!" Lilith announced, making Ken's face light up. "That is, if I can ever find Will."

"Yeah, I'd like to meet Will," said Ken. "He sounds nice if he protects you and stuff." 

"Yeah, he _is_ nice," she said casually, "Maybe we'll see him on the way to your house."

"Great! Let's go!" They both charged off quickly, Lilith following Ken, but soon they slowed down and went into a stroll as they passed various shops. Lilith wanted to stop at an herb store to pick some holly. "Herb magic," she assured him.

Once they continued their journey, Lilith clutching her bag of holly, Ken began a sort of poking game with her. It was exactly like tag; one person would poke the other, and run before the other person caught them. Lilith was much faster than Ken and had no trouble catching him. Once they reached Ken's house and stepped in, they both removed their shoes and walked into the living room.

"This is a nice place," Lilith commented, gazing around at the ceiling and walls.

"Mom, I'm home!" Ken called, setting his book bag down.

"Oh, Ken! There you are, honey! How was your day?" Molly left her room with Ariyuki following behind her. They both stopped at the sight of Lilith.

"Mom, this is Lilith, my new friend," he indicated Lilith, and she bowed.

"It's an honor to meet you, Misses Ichijouji-" Lilith began.

"Oh please, call me Molly dear. You needn't act too proper here, since the other boys won't," her head tilted to Ariyami, who was floating in the air, eating chips lazily.

"Wow, would ya look at that, a magic couch potato," Lilith commented, making Ken and Molly giggle.

Ariyuki was in total awe of Lilith. "Wow!" he said finally. "You look just like The Fire Goddess, Mhera!"

"Oh, no, Ariyuki. Don't start that Goddess Rampage stuff again," Ken groaned.

Lilith giggled and bent down to Ariyuki's height. "And what does Mhera look like?"

Ariyuki was almost too excited. "I'll show you!" and he ran back into Ken's room, taking his Goddess Rampage wall scroll off the wall. He dashed back in and brandished it in front of him. Sure enough, Mhera, who was standing in the middle, had an enormous resemblance to Lilith, except Mhera was much taller and had longer red hair.

"Oh, I don't think I look like her," said Lilith with fake disgust. "I'm _way_ cuter!" 

Ken chuckled, "C'mon, I'll show you my room," he led Lilith down the short hall and held the door open for her.

"Nice..." she complimented, staring around. "Oh, you have a computer too? That's great! Bunk beds...I've always wanted a bunk bed for my room for my friends and stuff."

"Really? Oh, I'd better get Ariyuki and Ariyami so-" Ken started, but at that moment the telephone rang. "Oh, _no_. Not now," Ken groaned. Lilith made to follow him, but Ken instructed her to stay in his room for now. He ran into the kitchen and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Ken_! _School done for you_? _Great_! _Come on to the Digiworld_! _We think the Sovereign struck again in the middle of the night_!" it was Davis and he was shouting and sounding like he had just ran to get to the phone.

"Your kidding! The Digimon Sovereign struck _again_-" he instantly dropped his voice, remembering that Lilith was just in the other room. "Alright, I'll bring Wormmon, Ariyuki, and Ariyami and will be in the Digital World soon! Be careful, Davis!" he hung up the phone. He turned to go back into his room and ask Lilith to leave, but came face to face with her instead.

It was like a bucket of ice was cascaded into his stomach. "Lilith, how much did you just hear?"

"Enough," she retorted. "It seems we both had secrets. What is this _Digital World _I heard about?"

"Nothing," he replied hastily, "Look, it's time for you to go now."

"I'm not going anywhere," she said stubbornly. "I want to know what's going on right now!"

"Look, I don't have time to explain it! I'll see you later!" he opened the door and waited for her to leave, but she didn't.

"Look, whatever's going on, you might need my help. I think I _can_ help! just let me come!" she demanded.

"Lilith, where I'm going is dangerous. You _can't_ come!" he grabbed her arm and tried to force her out, but her strong body kept her ground.

"Ken," she said, "If you don't let me come, I'll tell everyone I see that there's another world besides our own."

"They won't believe you!" Ken told her, definite panic in his voice.

"Maybe not, but it _will _get them shook up and asking you questions!"

"Like getting interviewed all over again," Ken muttered. By the looks of her, she probably wasn't lying. He had no choice. "Alright, but you _have_ to promise not to tell _anyone_ about what you see."

"I won't, I promise!" said Lilith looking alarmed at Ken's panic.

"Alright. I've gotta get the others. Ariyuki, Ariyami, Let's go!" Ken's voice rang from his room.

"Where are we going?" Ariyuki asked, walking into Ken's room, Ariyami close behind.

"Back to the Digital World," informed Ken wearily, wishing dearly that he hadn't let Lilith come home with him.

"Kay. Midori, c'mon! We're going to the Digiworld!"

"Neomon, let's go!" 

Quickly, Ariyuki's green and pink Digimon came in, and Ariyami's coal black Digimon made his appearance, and Ken proceeded to introducing Lilith to Wormmon. Instead of being shocked or grossed out, Lilith started talking to Wormmon, telling him about the dreams she had of him. Wormmon was deeply flattered. Ken ambled over and turned on his monitor screen. He put his Digivice to it, and bright white light engulfed the seven of them.

The colorful ride through the Digital World didn't make Lilith sick or scared like Ariyuki. Instead, she was laughing in excited delight as though she were on a roller coaster ride. Ken started to laugh in amusement of Lilith. Finally, their feet landed firmly on the ground, but Lilith fell on her back, still laughing.

"Man, that was so much fun! Where are we?" she suddenly got serious, gazing around the beautiful landscape.

"This is the Digital World," he announced.

"It's gorgeous," she said in awe. They were in a large field of flowers and surround the field was a large, thick forest. Beyond the forest were snow capped mountains that appeared blue in the atmosphere.

"C'mon," said Ken, pointed toward the forest. "They said they were somewhere near the ruins of the Digimon Nursery," he added to Wormmon.

"Should I Digivolve?" he asked Ken.

"Go for it!"

"Wormmon, Digivolve to...Stingmon!" in no time Wormmon and transformed into Stingmon and Ken leapt into his hands.

"C'mon, Lilith," he called to her, holding out his hand. "He's perfectly safe, and I would trust him with my life."

Lilith smiled and took Ken's hand, then reached down and took Ariyuki's hand, pulling him up with them. Ariyami soared high into the air in the lead, Neomon perched on his shoulder. Flying through the air, Lilith couldn't help but cheer loudly in excitement. Soon Ken, Ariyuki, and Stingmon were joining her. Later they laughed at each other's strange shrill voices. 

Since it was a very far journey to the Digimon Nursery from their current location, Ariyami and Stingmon landed in a grassy plane after about a half an hour to give everyone a break and a chance to stretch their legs. In the middle of the meadow was a large peach tree. Ken sat under the tree's shady leaves and took a nap, his back against the tree's trunk for support; Lilith was curled up on the ground next to him like a cat. Since Ariyuki and Ariyami weren't tired and didn't feel like napping, they wandered off, telling Ken while he still conscious that they'd be back soon. Ken even invited Wormmon to go with them, thinking no Digimon, under the control of the Sovereign or not, would be able to find them under the tree; this wasn't the smartest thing in the Digital World to do.

Ten minutes after Ken had fallen asleep, Lilith was awoken by the thundering sound of footsteps. She sat up and rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. She then saw a pair of gigantic boots and slowly gazed up. When she saw what was before her, she froze with utter terror.

A tall, man-like creature loomed over her and Ken; pale, all in black, engulfed in blue flames. "_Ken_!" Lilith cried, not needing to shake him, because her shout had woken him up.

He yawned and sat up. Then he saw what Lilith was staring at, he leapt to his feet. "Skullmeramon!" he shouted.

"Hello, children. I hope I'm not disturbing you," he spoke softly, but both Lilith and Ken knew that his only intentions were to harm them. Sure enough, with a mighty roar, he sent his fiery fist careening down. Grabbing Lilith's arm, Ken tumbled out of the way just in time as Skullmeramon's fist smashed into the spot where they were standing.

"Let's get outta here!" Lilith yelped, helping Ken to his feet. However, just as they were gaining speed, Skullmeramon sent his arm slamming in between them, separating the two. Lilith was smashed back against the peach tree, while Ken was hurled a few feet forward.

He managed to get back on his feet and turn to watch Skullmeramon stride toward Lilith. She watched with terror in her eyes as he drew closer, a horrible grin on his somewhat masked face. "My, what a fragile little one you are. It's so much fun to play with the helpless ones," he sneered sadistically, only a few feet away now. Lilith cowered against the tree with nowhere else to go.

"Please stay back," she barely managed to plead. Smirking, he reached a giant hand out toward her.

"_Leave her alone_!" Ken bellowed and slammed himself into the side of Skullmeramon, barely avoiding being burned, and sending Skullmeramon skidding a few feet back. "C'mon, lets make a run for it," Ken told Lilith, pulling her shaky body off the ground. Just then, however, Skullmeramon grabbed Ken by his left leg and lifted him off the ground, upside-down.

"You think you're just the toughest guy around, don't you?" the furious Digimon asked, shaking Ken slightly and pulling his face up to his own. "Well, we'll see who's strong and who's bait when I rip your arms and legs off!" Ken gasped in horror and struggled with all his strength, but it was no use.

"Please stop it!" Lilith screamed at Skullmeramon. "Don't do this!"

"I'd run if I were you," he cautioned her. "'Cause when I've finished with your boyfriend, I'm coming after you, my dear. Now, back to you," his attention returned to Ken. He started crushing his leg; Ken screamed in pain, then managed to yank himself up and bite Skullmeramon on the fist, keeping clear of the flames.

The fierce Digimon howled and threw Ken against the tree, knocking him unconscious, but Lilith could hear a snap like a gunshot as his arm hit the tree at an odd angle. It broke. "_Ken_!" Lilith ran with all her speed to reach Ken, but Skullmeramon got to him first. He lifted him up by his other leg and cackled.

"I'm going to have so much fun finishing you off," he said to Ken, who was hanging limply. Just then a wave of power erupted. Shocked, Skullmeramon turned to see what was causing this strange red energy that was floating around. It was Lilith; she was shaking with fury, her fists clenched.

"I...said..._stop it_!" she snarled, looking up.

Skullmeramon dropped Ken and laughed at Lilith. "You've got more spunk than I gave you credit for, Little One, but it won't help you now. Feel the burn! Metal Fireball!" a huge blue ball of fire was launched at Lilith, but disintegrated once it touched Lilith's burning atmosphere.

"_My turn_!" Lilith shouted. She stretched her arms to her sides and her red energy began flying upward, causing her hair and pleated skirt to rise slightly. Then, just as Skullmeramon started toward her, Lilith chanted: "_Power of magic, come to me_! _Your master calls_! _So mote it be_!" she shot her arms forward and every bit of the energy that was surrounding her body shot toward Skullmeramon, colliding into his stomach and forming a huge hole.

Skullmeramon stared in shock, then fell backward and just before he hit the ground, he disappeared and was deleted. Lilith's power disappeared and she dropped to her knees, panting; she had never needed to call on that much power before. A sudden moan from near the peach tree brought Lilith back to her senses. "Oh, no! Ken!" Lilith scrambled to her feet and ran wearily as though just finishing running a mile toward Ken's limp figure.

His eyes were barely opened, but he could see Lilith clearly. "What happened? My arm hurts so much." he groaned, his voice hoarse.

"It's broken," she told him. "Don't worry, I can fix it. But first..." in one quick movement Lilith seized Ken's broken arm and snapped it back in place. Ken let out a shriek of pain, then let his head fell back on the ground, tears forming in his eyes. Lilith smiled and placed his head on her lap; she began to stroke his hair. "Shh, it's alright now. It's over. Now, this should hurt much less."

She placed her hands over Ken's blood soaked arm at the elbow joint and concentrated her energy. Blue light instantly outlined her and Ken, and the energy once again lifted upward, causing her hair to appear weightless once more. Watching Lilith work, Ken felt appalled at her superior power and ability. And all this time he was worried he'd have to protect _her_.

Ken almost didn't realize the pain easing out of his arm. When the light finally disappeared, all Ken could feel was a dull numbness. "You won't have any feel in it for a while," Lilith informed him. "I think I overdid it."

"That's alright," said Ken, "Anything to make it not hurt." Lilith laughed, but stopped as soon as she heard running footsteps. They both turned and saw Ariyuki and Wormmon running with all their speed, Midori just barely clinging onto Ariyuki's shoulder, and Ariyami was speeding through the air toward them, Neomon in the same kind of peril as Midori.

They stopped in front of Ken and Lilith, panting in an effort to gain air. "We...came...once we...heard...Ken...scream..." Ariyami told them, one breath at a time.

"Yeah...Are you two...okay?" Ariyuki asked.

"We're fine," said Ken, waving his hand to make them sit down. They all obeyed, but Ariyuki leapt up at the sight of Ken's bloody sleeve.

"What happened?!" he cried.

"Just a big bug that _had_ to be stepped on," Lilith told them.

"Are you feeling alright, Ken?" Wormmon asked, crawling toward Ken.

"Yes, I'm fine," he told him, gathering him in his arms.

"Well," said Ariyami, yawning. "I don't know about you all, but I'm getting tired. I think we should get home."

"Yeah," said Ken. After what he just went through, he was desperate for a nice, long sleep. "Lilith, you okay?"

"Yeah," said Lilith, stretching. "Just tired. Thanks for letting me come today."

"No problem. You're always welcome here as long as you come with me. Say, guys, have you found the others yet?"

"No, not yet." said Ariyami, shrugging. "They weren't anywhere in sight."

Ken frowned, but just then his D-Terminal began beeping, alerting him of a new message. "It's from T.K.!" he announced. Everyone gathered around "_Sorry we couldn't find you_. _We found three more Control Spires, but managed to make the Digimon under the control of the Spires destroy them themselves. No sign of the Sovereign, though. Hope you're alright. Go on home. T.K._"

"Well, that's nice," said Midori, jumping down from Ariyuki's shoulder.

"Can we go home now?" Neomon asked impatiently.

"Yeah," said Ken. "Let's go home."

Back through the Digital Portal and home, Ken fell backward onto Ariyuki's bottom bunk and sighed. 

"Ken? Are you back, dear? There's someone here to see you. A Mister Knightsphere!" Molly's voice rang out.

Just as Ken wondered who Knightsphere was, Lilith cried, "Will!" she ran through the hall and into the living room, Ken and the others following.

Will was a tall seventeen year-old man with short, mouse brown hair and light brown eyes. He was very strong, able to lift Lilith high into the air, and very kind, to Lilith, anyway. His face grew stern at the sight of Ken, Ariyuki, and Ariyami.

"How'd ya find me here?" Lilith asked merrily, jumping down from Will's arms.

"Got your message from home, telling me, or, actually, _Lyle_ that you would be at your friend, Ken's house." Will's voice was warm and soft, and Ken began hoping that Yolei would never meet Will, in fear that she'd be all over him. Ken stifled at laugh, picturing Yolei running in circles around Will, while he stared in terror. "I did some searching and found this address," he glanced down at Ken and the others, "And you must be Ken." he pointed right at him.

"Yes," said Ken in reply, bowing deeply.

"And _these_ are?" Will indicated Ariyuki and Ariyami.

"Oh, William, Ariyuki and Ariyami; Ariyuki and Ariyami, William," said Lilith briskly, introducing one another.

"Nice to meet you," said Ariyuki energetically, holding out his hand and shaking Will's.

"Ditto," added Ariyami, mimicking Ariyuki.

"Pleasure," said Will, turning to Lilith. "I think it's time to go homo now, Lilith."

Ken gazed at Will with suspicion. He then said good-bye to Lilith and held open the door for both of them to leave. When he was sure they were gone, Ken went back into his room and changed, thinking about William Knightsphere. He wasn't sure he liked him that much.

After dinner was served, which was cornbread, turkey, and mashed potatoes (which Ariyuki refused to eat), Ken went back into his room with his brothers and Digimon behind him.

"Did you guys have fun?" Ken asked them, gazing at the back of his top bunk.

"It was okay. You?" Ariyami replied plainly.

"Not really. My arm breaks, we're attacked by a Skullmeramon, the Digimon Sovereign didn't even show up today-"

"And you didn't get to kiss Lilith, huh?" Ariyami budded in teasingly.

Ken sat up instantly, his face red, and panic hitting him. "_That's not funny_!" he bellowed.

"Sorry, buddy," said Ariyami. "I didn't know you'd react like that."

"Well, if you think _that_ because me and Lilith were in the Digital World together, think of what the others are gonna say at school _just_ because me and Lilith walked home together!" Ken fell back onto the bed, feeling hopeless.

"What's so bad about that?" Ariyuki asked. 

"You wouldn't understand the terrors of rumors yet, little buddy," said Ariyami, ruffling the curious youngling's hair.

"Well, forgetting about that," Ken began, "I'm astounded Lilith had the power that she showed."

"What do ya mean?" both boys asked.

"Oh, yeah! You guys weren't there. Well, when me and Lilith were attacked by Skullmeramon, I was knocked unconscious, but even so, I could feel a strange hot energy all around, and Lilith chanting something about The Power of Magic. I dunno, but when I woke up, I watched Lilith summon _healing _power and fix my arm. She later told me about destroying Skullmeramon and how she didn't mean to."

"Wow," said Ariyami. "So Lilith has power too, huh?"

"Yeah, well she told me she studied magic, but I didn't think she actually _had _it!" explained Ken.

"What about that Will guy?" Ariyuki asked.

"Good question," said Ken, "Lilith thinks he's nice, but I don't trust him that much. He seemed to really hate us."

"Most body guards are like that," Ariyami yawned. "I'm spent, guys. I'm goin' to bed."

"Yeah, same here. Good night, Ariyami." said Ken.

"_Damn_! How did those Digidestined manage to wipe out three of my Control Spires when I wasn't even there?!" It was around midnight and the Digimon Sovereign had returned to his base, hot headed, and furiously staring at the areas where his beautiful Control Spires once stood.

"Master, they were _only_ Control Spires. We can build more right now," suggested Shinomon from down near the Sovereign's ankles.

"I know, Shinomon, but I've got to find a way to destroy those confounded Digidestined!" The Digimon Sovereign reached down and scooped up Shinomon. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Plenty, Master. I seem to recall from the notes you retrieved about the Digimon Emperor that he enhanced the control power of the Dark Rings. He then called them Dark Spirals. Might I suggest that we upgrade them more? Make them more powerful and able to control _any_ Digimon?" Shinomon explained, nuzzling under her master's chin, purring loudly.

"That sounds perfect, but why stop there, Shinomon? Let's try bringing the full extent of the Dark Spiral's power forth."

"Don't get in over your head, Sovereign," cautioned a voice behind him.

"Baron, I can handle myself!" the Digimon Sovereign retorted, his face bent into a childish sulk. "Quit bossing me around!"

"Why? You seem to enjoy _bossing_ Digimon around," sneered the Digimon Baron.

"_They're_ different," the Sovereign replied, stroking Shinomon, "I hate them."

"Are you still going on about that?"

"_Shut up, Baron_!" The Sovereign whipped around furiously. "You _know_ what happened all those years ago! I'll _never _forgive them for what they did to me!"

"Did to _you_? Don't you mean-"

"_Silence_!" The Sovereign snarled, his high-pitch voice now screeching. "I will not be spoken to like that! I'll do this _my_ way and you-" the boy was instantly silenced by The Baron's backhand. The Sovereign stumbled, dropped Shinomon (she landed on her feet), and held his cheek, staring up at Baron.

"You need to watch yourself!" the Baron growled. "You think you're so strong, but one wrong move and you'll get yourself exposed, boy!" his voice softened and he placed his hands on the Sovereign's shoulders, "I know you want to do things your way, and I know what conquering the Digital World means to you, but if your temper flies like that often, you'll get yourself into trouble."

"I know, Baron." admitted the Sovereign. "I think I'll go to sleep now." he sauntered away wearily, Shinomon leaping onto his shoulder. 

The Digimon Baron turned back to the screen the Sovereign was working on and scowled. "You Digidestined won't get in our way. I'll see to _that_. My master will have what he wants the most, and you can't stop us!"


	7. Ch7: Ken's Magic

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori/Mysticmon, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Alan/Alanoko(real name), Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere (more to come in future chapters) I don't own the Digidestined or their parents. By the way, I apologize for not having the poem at the beginning of chapter six. I spaced out. ^_^'

Chapter Seven:

Ken's Magic

__

Born from Darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hated, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold is heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night. 

Ken was awakened in the morning by the delicious scent of pancakes and sausage. Still not completely in the conscious realm, he slowly climbed down his bunk ladder, slipping on the third step. Nearly falling to the ground tingled his senses and made him more wary of where he was going. After safely making it to the solid floor and rubbing his eyes until he could see straight, he stared out his bedroom window, and discovered that it was still somewhat dark outside. Curious, Ken staggered slowly into the kitchen, where his mother, who had her back to him, was tending to the pancakes.

"Morning, mom," croaked Ken, stretching his cramped arms and legs.

"Good morning, dear," Molly replied, turning to face her son. "Sleep well?"

"Better than usual," he said, slouching into a chair. "Why are you up so early?"

"Well, I decided to make some breakfast for you before you went to school today. Do you mind?" Molly asked, checking the sausage. 

Ken gave his mother a funny look. "Well, no, but...I don't have school today. It's a holiday for the teachers." he stifled his sniggers as Molly stared at him in shock.

"Oh, no. All this for nothing!" she whined, looking discouraged.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Mommy, dearest," sang Ariyami's energetic voice from behind. "I'd be more than happy to help you eat-"

"Not before me!" now Ariyuki was awake and ambling into the kitchen with some difficulty- he was more asleep than Ken was- with Midori in his arms.

"Well," said Molly happily, patting both Ariyuki and Ariyami on the heads and sending them to the table. "It seems everyone is awake except for your father. That man...Never wakes up unless he has to."

"I think _all_ men are like that, Molly," chimed a voice near her ankles. Midori had come for attention. She leapt onto Ariyuki's lap and accepted Ariyuki's pets and strokes.

Ariyami soon began giggling at Ken. "What?" Ken asked.

"Nice P.J.s, Kenny boy," he pointed at Ken's teddy bear pajamas. Each one had a little red bow tie.

Ken frowned. "At least _mine_ don't have rubber duckies on them, Ariyami." he hissed.

Ariyami desisted his laughter and glared at Ken. "That is _so _low." he muttered.

"Well, I think they're both cute," Molly budded in, bringing in plates of pancakes and well done sausage. "Breakfast served!"

She placed a plate with three pancakes for Ken, a plate of..._ten _pancakes for Ariyami, and one for Ariyuki, giving him an extra kiss on the head. Ariyuki laughed and blushed. Then Ken and Ariyami gave fake looks of jealousy to their mother, and she laughed and kissed them too.

_It was cold all around, snow littered the floor. Down below the cliff, Digimon were running for all they were worth. Lilith stared around; where was she? Then, a high-pitch cackle filled the air. Lilith panicked and stared around, but couldn't find the laughing person._

Was this the Digimon Sovereign laughing? Just then the person laughing grunted with struggling or with pain. The next instant, a Mushroomon was hurled over her head, and a cruel voice: "You'll know better next time, if there is a next time for you!" Was the Sovereign behind her? If he was, she couldn't turn to see; it was like she was paralyzed.

She even tried to scream, but couldn't. If she didn't move, the Sovereign might attack her. Just then a flash of thin red light struck out.

"_No, stop_!" Lilith cried and sat up in bed, drenched in cold sweat. She panted and gazed around. Realizing where she was, she fell back onto her pillow. "It was just a dream...Maybe I should tell Ken about it..." Lilith was distracted, however, by a liquid feeling running down her arm from elbow to wrist. She checked and found a thick, red substance; blood.

"What the...?" she ran into the bathroom and washed her arm in the sink. "Gazing outside the bathroom window, Lilith noticed that it must be noon or around that time. "I wonder what caused my arm to bleed like that. It doesn't even hurt that much." after binding her painless wound with bandages, Lilith strolled back into her room and sank onto her bed. 

Her nightstand next to her bed caught her attention. "I bet I hit it on that in my sleep," Lilith concluded. She smiled at herself and her embarrassing panic, but still, that dream...

Lilith simply shrugged and got undressed. Time to go out. Now redressed in dark blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a red cotton vest, Lilith ran down the hall and down the staircase. "I'm going outside!" she called through the house.

"Lilith, wait! Where are you going?" a young man's voice called from the living room.

Lilith poked her head around the corner to the living room and spotted her brother, Lyle, laying on the couch, watching _The Crime Detectives_. "Just out to play, maybe go into the city." she told him.

"Well, make sure you've got taxi money to get around; I don't want you stranded alone in Tokyo," he warned, looking up from the sofa.

"Don't worry, I'm not alone anymore. I've got a new friend."

"Already?" Lyle seemed shocked and impressed. "Well, just remember; don't talk to strangers, don't touch any stray dogs, and _don't pay the hoboes_! They'll never leave you alone."

Lilith was moving her hand in the shape of a mouth while Lyle was repeating the city rules _again_. "Don't worry. I'll be safe. Bye, Lyle!" but before she left, she turned back and said, "Lyle, thanks for not telling Will where I'm going. I don't mind him, but he treats me like I'm a precious metal or something. He won't let me do _anything_."

"It's no problem, Lily," he told her, "Just be back before five, okay?"

"Sure!" and with that, Lilith bolted away from the living room. She ran next to the door, slipped on her black half-boots and brown half-gloves. She turned the doorknob and ran out of the house, slamming it behind her.

Now leaving the front door, Lilith strolled past the long garden of flowers on both sides of her; Lyle, being a huge floral lover, planted and grew them himself. She turned back and gazed at the house she just left; two stories with an attic, her room was on the upper floors. Their house contained five bedrooms (three upstairs and two downstairs) and two bathrooms (one upstairs and one downstairs). Lilith smiled to herself and turned back around to leave.

A mewing around her ankles made Lilith recoil in shock. Looking down, she saw her white cat. She mewed again and rubbed against Lilith's legs, demanding attention.

"Nekomata, you silly feline," Lilith scolded playfully, bending down and petting her cat. Nekomata was a snowy white, short haired cat with a red collar, and big blue, friendly eyes, just like Lilith's.

_It's not every day I have to resort to yowling to get your attention, Lilith,_ she said to Lilith, staring up.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't see you down there," Lilith apologized, scratching the back of her head.

_So, where are you going?_ Nekomata asked, leaping up onto Lilith's shoulder.

"To Tokyo," she said simply. "I've got some money on me, and I figured I could spend it there. Maybe get Ken and go on a shopping spree with him." she smiled at the thought of it.

_You'd best be careful, Lilith,_ Nekomata cautioned. _Has it never crossed your mind that Ken might be using you? I mean, how often does a guy meet a rich young girl who's willing to spend it all in one day? I'm not trying to be your mother, Lilith, _There was some hurt in her voice, _but, please be careful._

"Don't worry. I trust Ken; and besides, it's not we're dating or anything. We're just good friends. That's for sure!" said Lilith. She kissed Nekomata on the forehead, set her on the ground, and ran down the stone steps. Lilith's house settled in the outskirts of Tokyo. The first step of getting there was to trek through a two mile long gravel road. This didn't bother Lilith; she used to be a champion track runner, and could run three miles without feeling the need to stop.

However, with the loud yelling coming from Ken's apartment, it's amazing that Lilith couldn't hear.

"No, mama! Please don't make me go! _Please_!"

"Ariyuki, there's nothing else I can do. Besides, school will be good for you. You can make new friends, dear."

"Then, why don't ya make Ariyami go?" Ariyuki protested.

"Because he wouldn't be any more thrilled than you, and you need more schooling than he does." Molly looked as though she too was against school, but she had no other choice. The Government had even called that threatened to take Ariyuki away if he didn't go to school.

"Kay," said Ariyuki with despair. He trudged back into his and Ken's room, shutting the door behind him. Midori walked right through the door and into his lap.

"I don't think school's so bad. Besides, you could sneak me in with you. See?" she tilted her head with an air of cuteness. Her plan to cheer Ariyuki us worked. 

"Yeah, and we could even speak out of school too, sometimes. Don't know if it'll work, but we can try." he giggled and at that moment, Ken and Ariyami opened to door.

"You okay?" Ken asked.

"Yeah." said Ariyuki, straightening up.

"Ya know, I seem to remember promising you two that we'd get some ice cream yesterday after school. What'd you think?" Ken grinned and his counterparts smiled with delight.

"Yeah!" they both cheered.

All three of them got dressed immediately. Ariyami slipped on light blue jeans, a blue and white buttoned T-shirt, and white socks. Ariyuki pulled on the same kind of pants as Ariyami's, a white T-shirt, and his new royal red long jacket that Molly bought him. Ken wore tan khakis and a green T-shirt with white socks.

"Now, before anyone starts calling, lets get outta here," Ken said, almost whispered. Grabbing his wallet, and slipping on his black shoes, (Ariyami pulling on white tennis shoes, and Ariyuki pulling black shoes like Ken's) Ken ushered his brothers out the door.

Outside was bright and sunny. The breeze was cool and the clouds in the sky were simply fluffy-looking. The trip to Keichoe's Ice Cream Parlor wasn't too far, and all three Ichijouji boys enjoyed the nice, pleasant walk. Ariyami soon scooped up Ariyuki and placed him on his shoulders. Ken was so busy laughing with amusement, he almost didn't hear someone call his name.

"Ken! Ken, over here!" it was Lilith. She was running down the sidewalk toward him and his brothers.

"_Lilith_!" Ariyuki cried with joy, jumping down from Ariyami's shoulders. Lilith giggled and patted Ariyuki's hair. "Are you coming to get ice cream with us?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure," she responded. "How have you all been?"

"We're just fine," said Ken truthfully, "I'm just taking these two to get some ice cream. I promised them yesterday."

"Oh yeah," said Lilith. "Ariyami, it's nice to see you here."

"Bet you weren't expecting the Magic Couch Potato, were you?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh," said Lilith, scratching the back of her head and laughing nervously. "I didn't know you heard..."

"Well, do you mind coming with us?" Ken asked. "I can buy for you-"

"No, it's no problem. I have some money of my own." she waved away to question.

At the ice cream shop Ken bought Ariyuki a chocolate and marshmallow malt like last time, and bought Ariyami a chocolate cake sundae. Ken got himself a strawberry cone this time, while Lilith surprised them all with a large banana split. "It's amazing to watch such a petite girl eat an entire banana split." stated Ken in astonishment.

"Yeah, how do you keep your figure?" Ariyami asked, not caring how rude it was to stare.

"Good question," she responded, taking a gigantic bite of the banana split. "I mean, it doesn't seem to matter _what_ I eat, I always stay this thin. Then again, I _am_ a great athlete."

"That could explain it," said Ken.

After the delicious snack, Ken, Ariyuki, Ariyami, and Lilith all set out to the park with no name. There was a large garden there, and they all felt like a walk. While Ken and Lilith stuck to the path, Ariyuki and Ariyami went exploring; Ariyami flew through fields of various flowers, scooping a handful up and giving them to Lilith. "From the Magic Couch Potato," he told her.

Ariyuki ran around in circles often and danced around streams and ponds. Later, he, Lilith, and Ken all sat in a field of flowers and began making flower crowns and giving them to each other. When Ken and Lilith were finished, Ariyuki looked something like a princess, with daisies in his hair, cherry blossoms from trees around his wrists, and a rose crown on his head. It was only when Lilith created a tiara of lilacs did things begin to go bad.

Lilith placed it on his head, giggling, then Ariyuki took it off to admire it. He then stopped laughing and stared at it. At first it was with curiosity, then it seemed like he was in a trance. Then he heard it; laughing. Two people laughing merrily. Then, flashes of what seemed like lightning struck everywhere before them.

Ariyuki then keeled backward, curled up, clutching his hair, screaming with pain. 

"My God!" Lilith cried in alarm.

"Ariyuki! Snap out of it!" Ken forced Ariyuki into sitting position and shook him hard. When Ariyuki made no response except to continue screaming, Ken started to cry. "Please, stop. Please leave him alone," he said to no one.

Then Lilith seized Ariyuki's hands and closed her eyes. Ken heard her chant in a whisper over and over, "_Power of magic, come to me_._ Power of magic, come to me_..." Blue light flashed over Ariyuki and Lilith, and Ariyuki ceased his flailing and crying at once. The light soon vanished and the energy faded, and Lilith ended the spell, "So mote it be."

Ariyuki shuddered and Lilith wrapped her arms around him. "Are you alright, now?" she asked.

"Teach me," he muttered simply, pulling away. "Teach me your magic. I wanna learn."

Lilith stared at Ken with uncertainty. "You must have the power, the gift of magic, to successfully learn it," she said.

"Ariyuki has the healing gift," said Ken.

"Healers should never be taught the gift of destruction. The power they inherit becomes too much for them to understand; they become corrupt." Lilith replied darkly.

"You know a lot about this, don't you?" Ken asked, holding Ariyuki.

"More than you know. I am one of the few healing mages who also wield destructive power. We understand how to control it, and not let it all go to our heads. However, I sense purity in this little one. I think he could be quite the mage." she smiled at Ariyuki.

"Everyone sees purity in this little guy," teased Ken, ruffling Ariyuki's hair. "C'mon. Let's get Ariyami and go home. You sure you're okay, Ariyuki?"

"Yeah," he said wearily. "I just heard two people laughing happily, then whatever it is that's inside me made my head hurt again. Whatever it is, it uses black lightning."

"Black lightning?" Lilith asked.

"I think I know what this thing is," said Ken, with horrible worry and tenseness in his voice. Everyone, including Ariyami, who had just arrived, stared at Ken with apprehension. "It's a Dark Spore."

"What's that?" Lilith asked, horrified.

"It's something that was implanted inside me when I was little, about ten years old. It's what turned me into-" he stopped, remembering that he hadn't told Lilith yet about him being the Digimon Emperor. 

Ariyami, however, finished it for Ken. "This Dark Spore thing turned him into a very bad person called the Digimon Emperor. Let's just say he wasn't the nicest Emperor in the world. He's kinda like this Sovereign dude now."

"But, I don't think he's any worse than I was," said Ken. "I mean, I was under the control of the Dark Sore, however, he seems to be under something much more powerful. I don't think he's that bad, really-"

"_Not that bad_!" howled Ariyami in rage. "That little wolverine _bit me_!"

"Well, getting back to the subject," Lilith budded in tartly. "This Dark Spore thing is inhabiting Ariyuki, and yet he shows extraordinary resilience to its evil."

"I know," said Ken.

"That's why he's called your _pure counterpart_, Ken," stated Ariyami, as if trying to bring Ken into reality. "I mean, why else do you think he's a pint-sized version of yourself? He's your younger self, representing your innocent self!"

"Oh, so you two are his counterparts?" asked Lilith with interest.

Ariyami slapped his forehead. "Ken, didn't ya tell her any of this?"

"Well, no. I didn't think I had to," admitted Ken.

"It's alright. This is interesting," said Lilith. "So, if Ariyuki's the innocent side, that makes you the darker side. I've learned all about this in my magic books."

Ariyami yawned. "Guys, I thought we we're gonna go home."

"Yeah, might be the best thing," said Ken. "I guess we'll see ya later, Lilith."

"Bye, bye, Lilith," said Ariyuki, running off to catch up with Ariyami.

"Ken?" Lilith called after him, who was trying to catch up to the others.

He pulled back, "Yeah?"

Lilith wouldn't look directly in Ken's eyes. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go for a walk with me tomorrow. Maybe come see my house? I'm sure Lyle would love to meet you."

"And Lyle is your brother?" Ken asked, forcing Lilith to look at him with his hand under her chin.

Lilith blushed. "Yeah." she pulled away from Ken, fingering her vest. "He's not exactly like William, and I really think you two would get along great!" she looked hopeful.

"Sure!" said Ken. "We'll meet here in this park, okay? At around five?"

"Sure!" Lilith repeated. "I'll meet ya here then, bye!" and she ran off.

Ken chuckled, then ran to catch up to his brothers. 

The next morning was the worst for Ariyuki. It was his first day at school; Ken shook him awake at around seven and handed him some clothes. "Today's your big day, Ariyuki. I hope you have fun," Ken told him cheerfully. "C'mon, Mom's makin' breakfast."

"I don't feel very hungry. My stomach might explode," he replied, pulling his socks on.

"I know that feeling," said Ken. "Oh, well; at seven thirty I'll help walk you to school."

"Kay."

It was seven thirty-one before the two actually left, though. Down the sidewalk, Ariyuki was looking everywhere, as if searching for a glimpse of hope to get out of this. He was so busy worrying that he didn't even notice he was separated from Ken. When he did, he searched around and screamed for Ken's name. "_Ken, where are you_?"

He was in such agitation that he didn't look where he was going, and collided right into someone. Ariyuki gazed up and saw he ran right into a very tall woman. Her hair was long and seemed silver; her skin was pale, but warm; he couldn't see her eyes because of the sunglasses she was wearing. They concealed her eyes better than Ariyami's glasses.

She wore a white blouse with a blue jacket and a light blue skirt. She wore high (but not too high) heeled sandals and a purse.

"I'm sorry," said Ariyuki, looking down. 

"Lost?" she asked him, removing her sunglasses. Her seemingly black eyes were both harsh and gentle.

"I can't find my brother," he admitted, looking back up into her face. "His name is Ken."

The woman's face gave the expression that she knew Ken, or thought she knew. "Well, child, I don't know where your brother might be, but I might be able to point you in the right direction, wherever you're going."

Ariyuki pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "Sento Elementary," he told her.

"You've got quite a reading skill," she told him with an air of amazement. "Yes, I know where this school is. Follow me." Ariyuki stayed close to this woman. He didn't want to stray again; finally, they came upon a three story building with the title, "Sento Elementary" inscribed on it. "There you are," she gracefully told him." I'll be looking forward to our next meeting." and she walked away.

Ariyuki stared after her for only a second before he heard the school bells ring and dashed inside the building. He went to the front office and stood on his tip-toes to get the person at the desk's attention.

"Excuse me," he said shyly. "Is anybody here?"

A young man then leaned over the top of the desk to get a view of who was talking to him. He had shoulder length white hair and caramel eyes. The clothes he was wearing was also white. He stepped out from behind the counter and Ariyuki saw that the long white jacket he was wearing had small rubies embedded near the hem.

"Hello there," he said cheerfully, "And how may I help you?"

"Hello, my name is Ariyuki and I need to-"

"Oh, you're the new kid," he said with enthusiasm. He dug around his messy desk and pulled out a clean sheet of blue paper. "Here are your classes, kido. Have fun!"

"Umm, mister?" Ariyuki asked. 

"Yes?"

"Are you at all related to a woman with long silver hair and black eyes?" he imitated, using his own hair as a prop.

"A woman with...Oh, her! She's a teacher here. Well, no." Ariyuki saw him blush. "I'm not related to her."

"Do you like her?" Ariyuki persisted.

"Don't you have a class to go to, little guy?" the man asked, laughing nervously and returning to his desk.

Ariyuki didn't say anything else, but walked away. He looked down at his list of classes. His first one was Reading and Language Arts, room 204. Ariyuki looked from left to right at the other doors. 196, 197, 198..."I just need to follow these doors," he said cheerfully to himself. 

When he came upon room 204, he knocked. When he saw the person who opened the door, he gasped. It was the woman who helped him get to school. She smiled pleasantly at him. "Welcome. I trust you found your way here alright?"

"Yes," squeaked Ariyuki, as the teacher closed the door behind him. He was receiving stares from all the children in the class room.

"And you must be..." she checked her list of students. "Ariyuki Ichijouji. Well, Ariyuki, I want you to take a seat next to Jem Mizu." she pointed to a boy with short blond hair.

"Kay," Ariyuki slowly ambled to the desk next to Jem and seated himself.

Jem smiled at him. "First days can be scary, but I'm sure you can handle yourself."

"Thanks," said Ariyuki.

The woman walked to the front of the class, "Good morning everyone."

The children responded, "Good morning, Miss Aruanna." 

Ariyuki stared around. _Miss Aruanna, huh_?

"Now, I have a new spelling list for everyone," she indicated the blackboard. It had the words: _Immediately, shiny, telephone,_ and_ powerful_. "Now, I'm going to erase these words and call on different kids to spell them out. Ready?" she picked up the eraser and swept her hand gracefully over the board, clearing every bit of her elegant handwriting.

She then pointed her hand at a boy three seats from the front row, "Chance, spell immediately."

The boy hesitated. "Umm, I-M-I-D-I-A-T-L-Y. Immediately."

"I'm sorry, Chance, but that's wrong. How about, Celest? Spell immediately." When this girl got it wrong to, she turned to Jem. He couldn't spell it either. "Can anyone try to-" Ariyuki shot his hand in the air. "Alright, Ariyuki."

Ariyuki's face lit up. "I-M-M-E-D-I-A-T-E-L-Y. Immediately."

"Very good, Ariyuki!" Miss Aruanna praised. "Very good!"

The rest of the class clapped for Ariyuki, making him blush. Then Jem said, "What did I tell ya? You're doin' great already!"

Lunch was also a good time. Ariyuki didn't have any money, but Jem bought some lunch for him. Jem showed him all around the school, the playground dos and don'ts, and even pointed out the bullies. Ariyuki had Jem in every one of his classes, though they weren't always seated next to each other. Then, in Science, Jem told Ariyuki something that made him stare.

"If you ask me, Miss Aruanna is weird!"

"What? I think she's nice. She showed me the way to the school and everything," said Ariyuki.

"She's probably trying to get you to be the teacher's pet." he told him. "That's why none of the other kids like her; she only shows respect to a few kids."

Ariyuki stared at his hands; he didn't think Miss Aruanna was like that. Maybe Jem just didn't like her, but that was his business.

When school was finally over, Ariyuki spotted Ken standing near the front gates. "How was your fist day?" he asked.

"It was cool!" Ariyuki exclaimed. "I met a really nice teacher named Aruanna! Ken, I'm sorry I got lost earlier today."

"It wasn't your fault," said Ken. "I should've been paying attention to you. Ready to go home?"

"Yeah!"

Back at their residence, Ken and Ariyuki kicked off their shoes and slumped onto the couch. "First day fun?" Ken asked.

"It's okay," said Ariyuki. "Just wanna relax now-" but at that moment the telephone rang and both Ken and Ariyuki grimaced at each other.

Ken got up to get the phone, but Ariyami flew in a beat him to it. "Ichijouji residence!" he sang cheerfully. "Yeah? Oh." he handed the phone to Ken. "It's for you."

Ken sighed and took the phone from Ariyami. "Hello? _What_? Okay. Alright! We'll be there soon!" he slammed to phone back onto the receiver.

"What is it?" Ariyuki asked from the couch.

"The Digimon Sovereign is attacking the Digital World _right now_! Everyone Else is already there! Let's go!" Ken charged into his room, Ariyuki and Ariyami following. They each shook their Digimon awake. Ken put his Digivice to the computer monitor, and the journey back to the Digital World began once more.

They arrived in a forest, but judging by the sound of explosions, the Sovereign and Digidestined weren't very far away.

"Wormmon, Digivolve!" Ken shouted.

"I would, Ken," he said, "but there's a Control Spire right there!" he pointed at the large black obelisk way to the right.

"Damn it!" Ken muttered.

"Don't worry, Ken." Ariyuki aimed his Digivice at his Digimon. "Midori! Crystal Digivolve!"

In an instant, Kailomon had become the beautiful Mysticmon. "Come," she said. "I will carry you all."

"Nobody carries Ariyami!" Ariyami said with pride.

It wasn't hard to find their friends; they just needed to find the Digimon Sovereign, and he was riding on his Kuromon's shoulder. Down below no the ground were the Digidestined, running with all their speed. "We've gotta do something!" Ken cried through the whistling of the wind.

"Leave it to me!" Ariyami shouted. He flew ahead, then launched a beam sword at the Sovereign, who barely saw it coming and darted into the air to avoid it.

"Cheater!" he screeched. He summoned a red beam sword and hurled it at Ariyami.

"Missed me!" he hollered, making the Sovereign clench his fists tightly. Just then, Kuromon appeared behind Ariyami and bashed him on the head, rendering him unconscious. 

"Get rid of him," the Sovereign drawled.

However, Midori, with Ken and Ariyuki still on her shoulders darted forward, slashing Kuromon and causing her to drop Ariyami. Midori caught him and gently placed him on the ground. At that moment, Kuromon took Midori by surprise and punched her in the face. Nearly dislodging Ariyuki, Midori countered and kicked Kuromon on the chin.

"Stop!" the Sovereign shouted. Ken turned around and saw that the Digimon Sovereign was on the ground, pointing a beam sword at the unconscious Ariyami. "Give up, or I kill him." he sneered.

Anger boiled inside Ken. Even if the Sovereign was under control, he needed to be taught a lesson. Ken wasn't just going to sit there and watch the Sovereign kill Ariyami! Ken leapt off of Midori's shoulder and tackled the boy. They tumbled backwards down the hill, Ken not releasing the Sovereign's cloak.

Finally they hit the bottom of the hill. Ken made to land a punch on the boy, but he slid out from under him. "Sovereign!" Ken shouted. "Let's make this a fair fight. We fight with our fists and legs. No magic!"

"That's fine with me," the Sovereign scoffed. He got into fighter position, his fists raised in front of him, Ken doing the same. Then they both charged; Ken made a strong swing toward the boy's face, but he grabbed Ken's arm and swung him over his shoulder.

Ken tried the same tactic, only to have the same result; being thrown to the ground. Ken looked up and saw the Sovereign kick high. He rolled out of the way just in time as the Sovereign's foot smashed the ground where Ken's head was. Then Ken realized something; remembering that this boy was a defensive fighter, he must also have a way to turn his opponent's attacks against them. He had to be careful.

"Tired, Ichijouji?" the Sovereign asked tauntingly.

"Not tired enough!" Ken dashed forward, making another punch move. His plan worked; the Sovereign made to catch his fist, then Ken pulled his fist back and instead kicked the boy hard in the stomach. He fell to his knees, completely winded, and tried to catch his breath quickly. He stared up at Ken, who was grinning triumphantly. "Now, let's find out who you are." he reached for the Sovereign's hood, but felt a strong pair of hands grasp his arms and force them behind his back.

"Thanks, Baron," he heard the Sovereign say.

"No problem," snarled the Baron. "Can I finish him? Please?"

"I don't see why not," The Digimon Sovereign taunted. The Digimon Baron grinned and pulled out his leather whip, using it as rope to tie Ken to a tree nearby. Ken struggled with all his power against his restraints, but it was no use. He watched in frustrated terror as the Baron unsheathed an enormous broadsword. He put it to Ken's neck, then pulled away.

Ken closed his eyes as the Baron made to swing hard, but at that moment Nephertimon came roaring down and landing between Ken and the Digimon Baron. The Sovereign was just about to ask how Gatomon Digivolved, but instead turned to find his precious Control Spire destroyed. "Damn!" he shouted. "Kuromon! Come to me!" Kuromon came soaring down and The Sovereign jumped up to her shoulder, the Baron doing the same. "Let's get outta here!"

Before Ken or Nephertimon could do anything, Kuromon soared away, out of sight. The next thing Ken knew, Ariyuki jumped into his arms, cheering. Then Davis and the others came dashing down the hill, all looking as though they had defeated Myotismon.

"Yeah! For the first time we beat the Digimon Sovereign at his own game!" Davis cried.

"This calls for a celebration!" Yolei hollered.

Ken nodded, but while everyone else was cheering, his pocket watch went off. He dug around in his pocket and read the time. He felt like his insides had disintegrated. It was five thirty! He had promised to meet Lilith in the park at five; he was a half hour late!

"I gotta go!" Ken shouted, running up the hill, back toward the portal to the real world.

"I wonder where he had to go in a hurry," said Cody.

Only Ariyuki and Ariyami knew where Ken was going, and they grinned to each other. Luckily none of the other Digidestined noticed them.

Back through the portal, out his door and down the sidewalk, Ken panted with the effort of not slowing down for anything. He didn't want Lilith to think he couldn't keep a promise. Reaching the gate to the park's garden, Ken saw, with an icy feeling in his stomach, that Lilith was leaving. "Lilith!" Ken called, "Lilith, wait!" he started down the path after her.

When Lilith turned and saw Ken, utter relief grew in her face. Ken stopped in front of her, panting. "I'm sorry," he breathed, "I'm sorry...I wasn't...here...on time..."

Lilith laughed. "It's okay. I'm just glad you showed up at all. What happened? You look like someone beat you with a stick."

Once Ken regain his breath, he proceeded to telling her everything. "The Digimon Sovereign attacked the Digital World again?" Lilith gasped. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Not life threatening wounds," he reassured her. "Well, are we going to your house or not?"

Lilith giggled, "Sure. Let's go."

Taking a taxi, which Lilith paid for, Ken and Lilith began talking about their science homework and about how ridiculous it was. Once out of the main city, the taxi had to pull over and let them out since the taxis weren't allowed to leave Tokyo. Lilith thanked the man and shut the door. As the taxi drove away, Lilith lead Ken down the two mile dusty road to her house. 

On either side of them was a thick forest. Lilith told Ken about the animals that lived their: birds, bears, and even wolves. Ken gulped and stuck close behind Lilith. Giving her a more thorough check, Ken realized that Lilith had changed her clothes since after school. She now wore light blue jeans, and a white shirt, but the same red vest and black half-boots.

_She really knows how to accessorize_, thought Ken. After ten minutes of eventless walking, Ken heard a high-pitch yowling sound from somewhere that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "What was that?" he asked.

Lilith listened intently, "Must be Nekomata," she said. "My cat. She's a sweet little thing."

Just as Ken nodded, he felt something brush against his legs. He yelped and jumped back. A big, snowy white cat was meowing at him, her tail high in the air. "Hello, Nekomata," Lilith cooed. 

Ken stared. "So that Nekomata?" he asked.

"Yep," said Lilith. "I think she likes you."

_Well, he's certainly not the cruel player I expected,_ stated Nekomata.

"Nekomata," Lilith murmured.

"Your cat can talk?" Ken asked, astonished.

"You mean, you can understand her?" Lilith looked both as though a lightning bolt struck her, and that all her wishes just came true. "That's wonderful! Only people who have a trace of the magical gift can hear her!"

Ken looked stunned. "Are you serious?"

"Very serious! Now you simply _have _to come to my house. I can help you bring your magic out. What do ya say?"

At first Ken didn't reply. Then, "Of course! How do you think I got the gift?"

"Well, normally people who have magical inheritance have it, but there have been a select few who were born from a normal family and have it."

"That must be me," said Ken.

_Enough chit chat. Let's go home. I'm cold and hungry._ whined Nekomata.

"Alright," said Lilith.

"And I'm _not_ a player," Ken muttered to Nekomata.

Ken goggled at the sight of Lilith's house. It was enormous and the garden outside the house was lovely. Ken couldn't help but be jealous. The inside was just as Ken pictured it. The carpet was plush and comfortable, and Ken had no problem feeling at home. Nekomata slithered past them and into the kitchen where her food and water dish was calling her name.

"Lyle!" Lilith called. "Lyle! I have a friend I want you to meet!"

The sound of footsteps echoed upstairs, then Ken watched as a young man trotted down the stairs. He was tall, tough, and gentle-looking, with blond flattop hair and a light beard and mustache. He seemed to fit the profile of a policeman. He was also very smart and seemed to know a lot about the human mind. 

"Hello, there. And you must be Ken." he said. His deep voice was full of warmth. "It's so nice to meet you. My sister goes on and on about how great a friend you are, even though she's only known you for a few days."

Ken smiled. Lyle, unlike Will, was very nice and welcoming. "It's an honor to meet you, sir." he said sincerely.

"Man, if only I could get my clients to talk to me like that. Well, come in. Come in. Make yourself at home. I was just getting started on dinner. You'll be staying, I trust?" Lyle was very energetic and began bustling around.

"Uh, sure. Do you have a phone? I need to call my mom." Ken said shyly. Lyle nodded and pointed toward the wall in the living room. Picking up the phone, Ken asked Lilith, "How old is he? He looks like he could pass off as your dad."

"He's nineteen." she said simply.

Ken shrugged and called home. "Mom? Hi. I was wondering if I could just stay for dinner at my friend's house. Lilith. Okay. Thanks mom! I love you!" blushing, Ken hung up. "I've got a question." Ken asked, sitting on the sofa next to Lilith. "What did Lyle mean by 'Clients'?"

"He's a detective," she replied. "He's well paid for his work, but the people he does his work for, his clients, don't treat him with much respect. Oh, well. C'mon! I wanna show you my room."

Lilith's room upstairs was larger than Ken's. She had a queen-sized bed with blue sheets, blankets, and Nekomata sleeping at the back of her room, a nightstand next to it with a lamp and an alarm clock, a computer, desk and chair in the corner, and a dresser. Ken whistled. "Man, now I'm jealous. Your room's bigger than mine." 

"Oh, well." said Lilith. "Here," she pulled a small hope chest out from under her bed and opened it. Inside was full of books and bags of herbs. "Now, be known Ken Ichijouji that what I'm about to teach you, I'm not doing out of fun, and that you should not use your magic out of fun. Hear me?"

"Yes," said Ken stiffly.

"Alright." Lilith took a bag of white powder and made a circle around her and Ken. "_I open the gate to the gift and the sight to the one Ken Ichijouji, who possesses the gift and the will to learn. Not for profit, not for Evil, not for selfish wants, but to help others in need. And so it is done. So mote it be_." 

A strange, white energy rose around them, causing Ken's and Lilith's hair to float. Then, Ken's entire body tingled and he shook his shoulders. Then, just as all the energy came, it went, and Ken felt himself grow weak, and he fell forward into Lilith's arms and fainted.

Ken awoke an hour later on Lilith's bed, Lilith stroking his hair, and Nekomata licking his face with her rough tongue. "You okay?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah, what happened?" Ken replied.

"The Order of Mages accepted your magic and granted you the ability to tap into your power. You've made it!" Lilith helped Ken sit up. "Dinner's almost ready."

"That's good," said Ken. "I'm feeling kinda hungry, but is there anything different about me?"

"Absolutely not," Lilith replied. "You are still Ken Ichijouji, but now you can learn how to heal and grow things."

"Whoa," said Ken. "Does that mean I'm something like Ariyuki and Ariyami?"

"You're exactly like Ariyuki and Ariyami. You can learn how to make beam swords and everything, but I'd advise you to not learn that yet. Not until you've mastered how to heal." said Lilith cheerfully.

"Wow," Ken whispered. "What's this Order of Mages you're talking about?"

"It's an organization of mages. My mother was a part of it." Lilith blushed.

"What's with the 'was'? Did she quit?" Ken asked. Lilith's face fell considerably, and Ken realized. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lilith."

"Dad's gone too. I miss them a lot sometimes," Lilith stared at her nightstand that had a little portrait picture of four people. One person was a handsome young man with bright red hair like Lilith's and hazel green eyes; next to the man was a beautiful young woman with hair that seemed to be made of gold, and gorgeous blue eyes. Kneeling below the woman was another man younger than the red head gentleman; he too had golden blond hair, but the other man's hazel eyes. Being cuddled in the red head man's arms was a little girl that had to be Lilith, bright red hair that almost touched the ground, and giant blue eyes. This was Lilith, her brother, and her parents.

"You all look so happy," Ken whispered.

"And we were," said Lilith.

Ken hesitated, then ventured, "How did they die?"

"I haven't the heart to tell you. Maybe when I can pull myself together." Ken saw tears form in Lilith's eyes.

Ken wiped them away with his hand then smiled. Lilith did too. At that moment, Lyle's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

Lilith sat up and sighed, trying to forget her parents. Ken walked after her, feeling sorry for Lilith. 

Dinner was just as good as Ken's mother's cooking; steamed rice and deep fried vegetables with sauce. There was also the chicken that no one could miss because of the delicious scent. It was astounding to Ken at first to see that Lilith and Lyle allowed Nekomata to eat at the table with them, but soon it seemed almost normal that they should treat their pet like a member of the family. At that moment, the door opened and shut, indicating to Lilith and Lyle and William was home.

"In here!" Lilith called. Will ambled in, looking exhausted.

"What's up?" Lyle asked, stuffing rice in his mouth. "You look like you've been beaten by old grannies all the way here." 

"I wish," William muttered as he meant to sit down, but one sight of Ken brought him jumping out of his seat. "What's he doing here?"

"Will, I invited him. Come sit down. Everything's delicious," said Lilith, reaching over and stealing one of Lyle's fried peppers when he wasn't looking.

"You're way too jumpy, Will," teased Lyle. "Maybe this bodyguard thing is gettin' to ya. Ever think of a vacation?"

William looked horrified, "I'm fine!" he insisted, then he turned around and walked upstairs.

Lilith, seeing the suspicious and worried look in Ken's eyes, patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about him. He's always so worried that we're gonna fire him if he doesn't do a top notch job. But we would never fire him; he's like family. Just like Nekomata." she scratched her ears.

_Yes, praise me, love me,_ said Nekomata in contentment, making all three of them laugh.

"Wait," said Ken, "Lyle, you're magical too?"

"Of course," he replied. "Everyone in the Tsutomo family has magic. What astounds me is that you have it."

"Yeah," said Lilith. "He was born into a normal family, but has the magic, just like his counterparts. I even did the spell to bring his magic out-"

"You _what_?" Lyle barked, standing up. He then sat back down, sighing. "Lilith, you gotta quit contacting that Mage Council without asking me first. They're gonna start getting on my back about that."

"Sorry," said Lilith, hunching her shoulders in apology.

"Well, it's seven forty-five. I think it's time for our guest to start heading home," said Lyle, standing up and putting his dishes in the sink back in the kitchen.

"Alright. I'll walk you to the end of our road, okay?" Lilith suggested to Ken, and he agreed. It was getting very late and Ken was more afraid of the dark these days.

It was colder outside than Ken thought. He even started shivering as they made their way down the dark gravel path. The woods on either side of them looked menacing in the dark. During the day these trees seemed friendly and inviting; the perfect picnic spot. But at night, these dark, seemingly evil trees were not something to approach. 

Ken was all too relieved when they reached the end of the road, though he didn't want to part with Lilith.

"I hope you can visit tomorrow, Ken," said Lilith. "I wanna start teaching you the basics of healing. Kay?" she tilted her head.

"Sure," said Ken, smiling. Lilith made to turn away, but Ken grasped her wrist. "Lilith, wait. I just...wanted to thank you for helping me..."

"It's no problem," Lilith replied, turning back around. "I'm just glad I-" but at the moment, Ken pulled her to him and kissed her, gently at fist, but then passionately. Lilith struggled for only a moment, then relaxed as Ken ran his fingers through her hair.

Ken decided to pull himself away from her, before any other urges took him over. "I guess I'll see ya tomorrow then," he said, gazing at her. Lilith nodded, smiling. Ken gave her one final kiss before taking off toward Tokyo.

Lilith leaned against a tree and sighed. It was a good thing Ken couldn't see how red she was in the dark. Did this mean he loved her? Meanwhile, Ken started going red himself; he had made his move and finally kissed Lilith. He had wanted to almost all day today.

She must have enjoyed the kiss if she didn't slap him. He smiled; he loved her dearly and hoped he could keep this a secret from his counterparts and parents. Unknown to him, Lilith was hoping the same thing, only praying Will would never find out. Will might come after Ken with an axe. She laughed at the comical thought, and ran back home, Ken's love and kiss keeping her fears of the dark away. 


	8. Ch8: Evil's Rampage

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere (more to come in future chapters). I don't own the Digidestined or their parents. MAN! I know this came REALLY late and I apologize. I really hate those writer's blocks. And, Evil Little Person, I've finished drawing the pic of ELP, I just haven't scanned it, colored it, and sent it in yet.

Chapter Eight:

Evil's Rampage

__

Born from Darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight. 

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night

Lilith awoke early in the morning and got changed for school. After running her brush through her short red hair, Lilith glimpsed her clock on her dresser. It read 7:45. "Oh, no!" she howled in alarm. She was in such a hurry that she didn't even bother looking at herself in the mirror (not that she needed to) after grabbing her backpack. She dashed downstairs and called a cab; rushing to the door, she nearly tripped over Nekomata, who was snoozing by the entrance.

Lilith met the cab outside the forest and instructed the driver where to go. 

Meanwhile, Ken Ichijouji just finished walking Ariyuki to school, and was now heading toward his own. Once at his destination, Ken stretched and yawned, wondering what Ariyami was up to at this moment. To Ken's slight shock, but not complete surprise (this happened yesterday), Lilith met him outside their first class's door. She must be as punctual as him. "Man, you're good," stated Ken as they sat down.

"Yeah, I thought I wasn't gonna make it, though," Lilith and Ken walked into the classroom and she sighed as she opened her bookcase. "Did you do your homework?"

"When do I not?" Ken jested, pulling out his worksheet on continents.

"Ditto," she said. She checked Ken's answers, then her own. "Hey, we have the exact same answers!" they both laughed. At that moment, kids began filing in and sitting down. Lilith and Ken immediately hushed up.

"Now then," their teacher had just entered the room, looking delighted to teach, as usual. And, as usual, he had to give detention to the same two boys who were flinging rubber bands as each other. "Let's get out our homework and hand it in." there were people mumbling in the class; some said they weren't sure if they got them right, while most murmured to one another that they didn't do it. 

Lilith and Ken, however, stood up, walked to the teacher's desk and gave their homework to the teacher, who beamed at them, causing jealous students to tease.

"_Oooooh_! Mister and Misses Perfect did all _their_ homework, guys!" taunted one of the two boys with the rubber bands. Ken saw Lilith's face fall greatly. He knew how upset she got when being mocked.

"Ignore them," he whispered when they sat down. "They're just jealous." Lilith smiled, but Ken knew his little talk didn't work.

Lunch time that day was the most frightening moment Ken had ever had at school. He and Lilith decided to go for a walk around the school garden. This was their favorite place to be; trees blocked the rest of the school from view, and only Ken and a select few of others knew about this place. When they reached the bridge, Lilith touched Ken's shoulder then ran to the other side, laughing. Ken grinned; _Oh, so it's tag she wants, huh? _he thought mischievously.

He darted across the bridge after her, but stopped as he saw Lilith watching another girl that was heading toward them. Ken noticed, when he stood next to Lilith, that she had bitterness in her usually bright face. "What's going on?" Ken asked her, also looking at the girl. She was taller than Lilith, but about the same size as Ken.

She had long golden hair and upturned brown eyes. Her face showed nothing but snobbishness. She was pretty, yes (she'd even found a way to style her gray school uniform to make her look more attractive), flanked by about five other boys and girls; she was one of those popular types who took delight in picking on others students, but she seemed absolutely thrilled at the sight of Lilith. Ken finally remembered this girl. Her name was Aika Hitzubi.

He recognized her by memory, when she had confronted him in a request for a date. Being the dark person he was, he turned her down in a very cruel and embarrassing way. Even so, she still desired him.

Aika stopped in front of Lilith. "Well, Lily, it's been a very long time since I've last seen you," her voice was superior; she then grabbed a lock of Lilith's hair. "Still red; still utterly _boring_. And you wonder why you don't have any friends."

Ken was about to say something, but Lilith stopped him. She yanked her hair out of Aika's soft hand, her face in a contorted look that made Ken think, _If looks could kill_. "At least I'm not scavenging around, looking for mindless drones to follow me!" 

Aika laughed a high-pitch laugh. "Oh, Lily-"

"_Lilith_!" she shrieked.

"Right, _Lilith_. Why wouldn't you want a gang? Just them following you, being your bodyguards make you feel powerful." she sneered. 

"What good is power if you don't have any _real _friends?" Lilith retorted.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot. You've already got a bodyguard. But then, if you're not seeking power, then what good is your slave?"

"He's _not_ my slave! He's my friend! You'll do good to remember that!" 

Aika's face suddenly looked shocked. She advanced toward Lilith. "Don't you _ever _talk to _me _like that, Tsutomo! _You _are nothing but a lowlife little girl who's desperate for friends-maybe even a love life-whereas I basically have this school eating out of my hand."

"Why don't you go to someone who cares?" Ken budded in.

"Ichijouji," Aika now looked contented and somewhat persuasive. "It's _very _noble of you to stand up for the lower people. But let's be honest with ourselves; that _creature _isn't even worth defending, I don't care _who _pays you. I've known her since the second grade-"

"Leave him out of this!" Lilith separated Ken from Aika.

"Oh, silly Tsutomo. What makes you think I have intentions to _hurt_ this fine boy?" she placed her hand on Ken's cheek. He backed away instinctively, feeling violated. Aika sneered again. "Or am I sensing that he's already been taken?" she turned to Lilith, who was still furious. "Well, well, Lilith. It looks like you finally managed to snag yourself a man. But he's a pretty big catch; do you _really _think you can handle him?"

Lilith didn't say anything. She wasn't going to talk about Ken as though he were a trout. Ken got somewhat afraid; though they didn't say a thing, their silence were like fists battering each other. "Well, come on, Tsutomo. Is it a fight you're looking for?" she shoved Lilith. "Come on; fight for the right to claim your man." she pushed Lilith again.

Lilith didn't do anything, but Ken saw her fists shaking. She was using every bit of her energy _not _to retaliate. Ken stepped forth and grabbed Lilith's arm. "Let's go," he said.

Lilith's legs were stiff with the desire to stay there and fight Aika, but she began to inch away. Then, however, Aika stepped in front of Ken. "Move it, Aika," said Ken, not looking her in the eyes. 

"First, I wanna tell you all about Lilith's past." she grinned.

"No, Aika. Don't!" Lilith shouted.

"It started when I first met her in the second grade. Already I had found my little victim to torment; she was quiet and always alone-"

"Stop it, Aika!" Lilith ran forth and meant to hit Aika, but she pushed her back into her gang, and they restrained her.

"Where was I?" Ken, although he didn't want to see Lilith helpless, listened to Aika's every word. "Ah, yes. The only person I ever saw around Lilith was William, her bodyguard. Whenever he was around, I could never have fun with my little toy. But when he was away..." she grinned.

Ken looked alarmed. "What would you do to her?" he demanded.

Aika sauntered over to Lilith and pulled down the right side of her shirt, revealing a long scar on her shoulder. "She got _this _little souvenir from me when she was stupid enough to retaliate against me during lunch." she smirked. "It's amazing how much damage a little plastic knife can do." she drawled.

Ken gasped. "You should have been expelled for that!"

Aika released Lilith's shirt. "And I probably would have. But Little Lilith over here would never tell anyone about the beatings I'd give her; she'd keep telling the nurse that she fell down during P.E. whenever I'd give her a black eye. I see her little trip to Kyoto, however, has made her a little uppity. I really don't see any harm in bring her back to the silent, friendless person that she was..."

"_Enough_!" Ken bellowed. "How dare you speak of hurting other people with delight?! You're a monster, Aika!"

"I thought you'd understand me, Ken. But I guess not. I'll just skip to the chase; have you ever wondered how Lilith's parents died, if she's even told you that?"

"No, Aika! Please!" Lilith begged, struggling against her subjugators.

"I think you should listen to this, Ken. It may change the way you think about precious little Lilith: I was there that day...

It was back when those monsters were invading Tokyo. I was frightened beyond all belief, hiding in an alleyway, desperate to keep away from those monsters. I heard a noise and looked around my hiding place. Two people were running down the alley: a little girl with long red hair that was in piggy tails, and a tall woman with long blond hair.

I was totally shocked when a streak of what looked like a red whip shot out and tripped the woman, which I have no doubt was Lilith's poor mother. It didn't even seem like Lilith was even trying to help her mother; she was just crying and standing there like an idiot. Then, you'll love this, she ran away like a coward! She left her mother for dead!

Then, this tall man strolled over. He was wearing blue and red and a red cape. He also had this big red mask. He pulled Lilith's mom to her feet then bit her neck! I swear! That man was sucking her blood!

Then he simply dropped her and I knew, by the pale, bloodless look in her face, that she was dead...

"Then, of course, I later heard about her father's death. I have no doubt that it was the same man. I'm also willing to bet that Lilith ran away just like she did with her mother!"

Ken stared at Lilith, who hung her head. So it was true. "So what?" Ken yelled to Aika. "What chance does a little girl have against a Vampire?!" Ken marched over and shoved the people holding Lilith's arms away. "Let's go, Lilith." he watched sadly as tears began to form in Lilith's eyes. 

Just as they crossed the bridge, Aika shouted after them, "I'll bet you anything that Lilith let them die on purpose! That little poison just wanted her parent's money!"

Ken watched, terrified, as Lilith wheeled around, charged Aika, and tackled her. Lilith didn't use girlie hair pulling tactics; she raised her fist high and punched Aika in the face, nearly knocking her out. "If you _ever _say anything like that again, Aika, I swear to God, _I'll kill you_!"

Ken ran over and pulled Lilith off Aika, while her bodyguards simply stared in confusion. _It's a good thing we're here in the garden, or Lilith might have been suspended_, Ken though.

That day after school both Ken and Lilith walked to Ariyuki's school to get him. Ken gave her worried glances once in a while, making her uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" she finally asked.

"Was Aika telling the truth about your story?" he wanted to know.

"Not entirely," she said. "She obviously couldn't hear me and my Mom...I'll tell you later. Let's get Ariyuki."

Little Ariyuki bounded from the school gates to meet them. "Hi Ken! Hi Lilith!"

"Hello, Ariyuki," said Lilith. "How was your day?"

"It was lots of fun," he kept turning to both Lilith and Ken. "Miss Aruanna gave me an award for best speller in the class-" he presented a blue ribbon, "-and later, the man that works at the office came by and gave Miss Aruanna a bouquet of flowers," Ariyuki giggled, "She went really red and so did he."

"This guy sounds like he has a crush," mused Ken while Lilith laughed.

"Yeah, he does. I found that out the first day of school. Anyway, Miss Aruanna ordered the guy named Mister Muruha to leave the class immediately. But, I saw her smelling the tulips he gave her. She likes him too." Ariyuki smiled.

"So, are ya gonna play Cupid?" Lilith asked, ruffling Ariyuki's hair.

"Nah. If I can't draw, chances are I can't get two people together, either."

"Really? I happen to think you're a marvelous artist," said a voice behind Ariyuki. Ariyuki spun around and Lilith and Ken stared up. A woman with pale skin and long silver hair gazed down at them. 

"Miss Aruanna!" Ariyuki cried, hugging her tightly. He suddenly went red. "You didn't just hear me, did you?"

"Well, I _did_ hear something about my tulips and someone playing Cupid." all three kids went red. She laughed, "I won't deny that Mister Muruha and I have been friends for a while, and now he wishes to win my favor."

Ken smiled then heard his pocket watch go off. He checked it while the others stared at him. "Oops! Gotta go! There's a picnic-like meeting happening today between me and my friends."

"I'm sure it'll be fun," said Aruanna. "I will see you tomorrow, Ariyuki. Good day."

"Bye bye, Miss Aruanna!" Ariyuki cried after her.

"Why don't you guys come with me?" suggested Ken.

"That would be great!" said Lilith. 

"I wanna come too!" said Ariyuki.

"Of course," Ken laughed. He, Lilith, and Ariyuki ran to meet the other Digidestined In The Park with No Name. They met all eleven Digidestined under a large elm tree. Ariyuki ran forth and greeted them all energetically. Lilith went red, remembering that she hadn't met the others before.

"Hey, Ken! What's shakin'?" Davis asked, waving to him while Ariyuki was reaching to steal his goggles.

"It's nice to see you, Ken," said Kari, "We haven't seen you for a couple of days now. Where's Ariyami?"

"Uh, he's at home last I saw him." said Ken walking forward, grabbing Lilith's arm. "C'mon; I want you to meet 'em." he whispered to her.

"I can't; I'm too scared." she replied, trying to tug her wrist free.

"Hey, Ken. Who's your friend?" T.K. kindly asked, standing up and walking over to greet her.

"This is Lilith," said Ken. "She's a friend I met at school. I've told you a bit about her."

"_Ohh_," said Kari, "So _your _the magical girl Ken's been telling us about. You, like Ariyuki, can heal people."

Lilith smiled and approached the group. Now she felt more like a part of them; they were nice, friendly, _colorful _people. "I can do much more than heal, ya know."

Ken then snorted a laugh, as though he'd just remembered something. "Lilith! Show them that trick you showed me." Lilith looked confused at first, but then Ken whispered something in her ear and she laughed too.

"Okay." she scanned the group for an object that they were holding; something she could use. Then, her eyes landed on a girl with curled pink highlighted hair and star glitter shimmering in it; her hands held a small teddy bear backpack. "Watch this, guys." she waved her hand, and the bear leapt out of Mimi's hands and began to dance around before their very eyes. Then it bowed in front of Mimi.

She clapped her hands. "Bravo! That's so cute!"

Lilith blushed. "Thank you."

"C'mon, guys! Sit down!" Davis invited. "We're just gettin' ready to bring out the lunch! What the-_Hey, you thief! Come back here with those!_" Davis had finally realized that Ariyuki had stolen his goggles and were running around with them on his head. While Davis chased Ariyuki all around the park, Ken and Lilith sat down to talk to the group.

"So, what d'you do, Lilith?" Tai asked. "Any sports? Do ya do art? Do ya do drama? You know."

"I do a sport," said Lilith. "I play soccer."

"No way!" Ken stated. "You never told me that!"

"You didn't ask," Lilith said simply.

Tai looked delighted. "Hey, wanna go a few rounds? See how good you are?"

The rest of the group looked shocked or exasperated. "Are you serious?" Matt asked impatiently.

"You _used _to like soccer," said Tai with a pout on his face. "That is until you got all wound in that music business. C'mon, Lilith. What do ya say?"

Lilith grinned and stood up. "Sure. But first..." she took her school bag that she had around her neck off and made toward a girl's bathroom. "I need to change. I won't be any challenge dressed like this." She later emerged dressed in blue shorts, white socks, white tennis shoes, a white T-shirt, and a blue cotton vest. "Ready?" she asked.

"You got it!" announced Tai with Davis chasing Ariyuki around in the background. There was a small soccer field in the park with bleachers. While the original seven Digidestined, Yolei, Cody, and Ken all seated themselves, Lilith and Tai warmed up. Even though Tai hadn't practiced too much soccer lately (it wasn't the season) he still lost none of his edge, bouncing the soccer ball from left knee to right.

Lilith, on the other hand, stretched out her arms and legs. When Tai did a practice run and kicked the ball toward Lilith, her left leg responded instantly and sent the ball hurling back at Tai with an extreme amount of force.

"I just don't think this is very fair," Kari told Yolei. "Tai's soccer team won three championships in a row! He's also the star player: The Bullet of Doom!"

"That sounds harsh," stated Ken.

"And it should. My brother caused this one kid to lose three of his front teeth when the soccer ball hit his face." Ken gulped.

"Ready?" Tai asked.

"Okay. Don't hold back," Lilith replied.

_I think I will,_ thought Tai. _I don't wanna smoke her on the first round_. "Alright! Here's the rules! Since there's only two of us, we both have to play offense and defense, okay? This means that we both have to try to score in the other person's goal, but defend our own while we're at it."

"Sounds good! Let's get goin' already! I'm not getting any younger!" said Lilith's competitive side, something all serious soccer players had.

Gatomon blew Kari's old whistle and the match began. Tai moved clumsily (but not ridiculously clumsily) down the field with the soccer ball. As he approached Lilith he grinned; she was defending her right side well, but her left side was completely defenseless. This would be no challenge to score. Tai quickly lined up the shot, then, forgetting his thought on going easy on Lilith, kicked the ball as hard as he could.

Lilith's eyes darted to the ball and made an instant decision. She swerved her thin wrist under and up and, using a huge amount of force, bopped the ball high into the air like a volley ball player. When it smoothly came back down, Lilith knocked it forward with her forehead and began playing her part on offense while Tai rushed to his position as goalie. She professionally kicked the ball between her legs while charging down the field, making Tai wonder if he should stop going easy on her.

Lilith halted in front of the goal. Her and Tai's eyes locked, each containing concentration. Then, Lilith's foot swung backward, then shot forward, making contact with the ball, and sending it hurling above Tai's head and into the goalie net. Ken, Kari, and the others leapt up and cheered for Lilith, who made a victory sign to them.

"Wow," said Ken, "I wonder what team she's on...They must feel lucky to have her."

"Of course they do. They value her like a millionaire would a bar of gold." Ken whipped behind him and saw Lyle, leaning against the bleachers.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just got off work and was heading home when I saw a soccer ball fly high into the air. I went to check it out and found Little Lilith stomping on her friend."

"Oh, she's not stomping him," Sora reassured him. "She's never seen Tai give it his best."

Lyle grinned. "I say the same for Tai." Sora and all the others stared at him. "Ken, I know you from watching you play soccer; you're The Rocket, aren't you?" Ken nodded. "And Tai is called The Bullet of Doom. Am I on target?"

"How do you know this?" Joe inquired.

"Well, I'm a soccer fan, and I've seen Ken and Tai playing on TV. They're pretty talented, but so is Lilith." Lyle stuck his hands in his pockets. "What do you see when you watch Lilith play?"

Ken stared at Lilith who was darting down the field toward Tai, eager to take the ball away. "I see a girl giving it her best."

"Spiritually, I mean, Ken," snapped Lyle, also watching as Lilith snaked around Tai and stole the ball.

Ken stared harder, trying to concentrate. Then, he saw it, like a vision; a beautiful, four-legged red animal dashing forward, ears cocked and a long red tail. "A fox."

"Precisely," said Lyle. "That's why her teammates gave her the nickname, The Fire Fox."

"_Fire Fox_!" Ken, Matt, and Davis interjected. "She's on the Soccer Player's Hall of Fame!" Ken added.

"Yes," said Lyle. "Right above you."

"Oh, she's good." whispered Davis. 

"Where did she get her skill?" Izzy asked.

"That's a real good question," answered Lyle, "She just developed it. She's been good at developing things. Just her style, I guess."

"And, what team does she play for?" asked Matt, now completely interested in what Lyle had to say. 

"That's obvious, isn't it?" answered Sora. "There's only one girl's soccer team here in Tokyo. The Blue Mizus."

"And Mizu means water. So, they're basically called the Blue Waters!" Davis laughed.

Five minutes later, Tai and Lilith ran up to the bleachers, Tai panting heavily. "Man, she smoked me good," he panted. "Seventeen to zero."

"Wow, Tai. You're either losing it, or Lilith's better than you are," said Kari.

"Well, guys," said Lilith. "I'm getting tired. I think I'll go home now."

"Yeah, we'll see you guys later," Lyle added, steering Lilith to his car.

"Bye, Lilith!" everyone called after her.

"Wow, Ken," said Yolei. "Lilith seems very nice and so does Lyle."

"Yeah," said Ken. "Not to mention Lyle's a _really_ good cook."

Back at home, Ken and Ariyuki went into their room to change. Just as they both pulled off their shirts, Ariyuki found a note on his bed. "Hey, a note from Ariyami," he said.

_Dear Ken and Ariyuki,_

Hey. I wont be home for a wile. I've gone to meet a freind. I'l be back as soon as posible. Dont tell Mom and dad. They'll probly be mad. Thanks bros. 

Ariyami

"Well, my lips are sealed," said Ken.

"Mine too," Ariyuki included. Just then, his stomach made a loud noise. "Gee, I'm getting hungry, Ken."

"Yeah, me too. Let's see what Mom left in the fridge."

It was five hours later, 10:30, when the boys' parents finally arrived home. "Hello Ken, honey. Where's my little Ariyuki?"

Ariyuki then emerged, dressed in his moon and stars pajamas. He ran forth and gave his mother a hug.

"Well, there's the little one," stated Cal, "but where's Ariyami?"

Both Ken and Ariyuki panicked; he should have been home by now. Ken racked his brain for an excuse. "Uh...Well, you know Ariyami. He's probably hiding around the house or something."

"Well, I need to see him; I have something I wanna discuss. Ariyami! Where are you? I want a word! Ariyami?" Cal searched the house while Ken and Ariyuki's bodies heated up with fear; what would their dad do when he finds out Ariyami isn't here? Cal emerged from his room, his arms crossed, glaring at his sons. "Where is he, boys?"

"Didn't you find him?" Ken asked sheepishly.

"Don't take me for an idiot, Ken! Now, _where is your brother_?! You'll _both_ get into trouble too if you don't tell me _right now_!"

Ariyuki started to cry and Molly put her arms around him. "Now, Cal; Ariyami is a smart boy. I'm sure he's alright. Now, now stop your yelling; you're scaring Ariyuki!"

"Yeah, and I'll scare Ariyami when he hears me shouting at _him_!" Cal bellowed.

Ariyuki couldn't take it anymore; he broke free of his mother's arms and ran into Ken's room, slamming the door, Ken running after him. Ken creaked the door open and found Ariyuki sitting on his bed cross-legged with Midori and his Digivice in his arms. "What's wrong, Ariyuki?"

"Daddy," he said, getting up and walking over to their door, putting his ear to it. He cringed hearing Cal and Molly argue loudly about Ariyami. He then turned his back to the door and slid down it, tears flowing down his cheeks. When he hit the bottom, Ken sat down next to him and put a comforting arm around his little brother; then Ariyuki asked something that made him withdraw in shock: "Are they gonna leave us, Ken? I don't want them to go away; even if Daddy does shout sometimes."

He put his head to Midori's and she turned and started to lick the tears from Ariyuki's face. "No," said Ken. "They're not going anywhere..." Ken shook with Ariyuki, however, when they heard their father shout extremely loudly. Ariyuki noticed, adding to his discomfort, that water was building up in Ken's eyes. "It's just, people fight a lot, Ariyuki; it happens to even the best couples and even friends. It's what people do, whether they like it or not."

"Well, I really wish people wouldn't, Ken."

"I know."

Just then they heard the balcony window open and Ariyami's voice. Ken and Ariyuki felt shock rise inside them. They bolted out the door just as Cal confronted Ariyami. "_Where have you been_?!" Cal shouted.

"To see a friend of mine," said Ariyami simply, flopping down on the couch.

"Even though you have a gift, Ariyami, you still need to obey your parents' wishes! You _know _you're not suppose to leave the house after ten!" Cal was furious at Ariyami's lack of interest in the conversation. He was so mad, it took him all of his strength not to hit him on the spot. Ken started to pray that Ariyami wouldn't infuriate their father even more; No one hear his prayer.

Ariyami sat up and grinned at his dad. "You worry too much, Dad. I'm a big boy and I can take care of myself."

"That's not the case, Ariyami! It's listening that you have a problem with! I never see Ken or Ariyuki do the irresponsible things you do! You steal, lie, and run off without telling us!"

Ariyami was also getting angry. He sat up and glared at Cal. "Look, I don't need to be treated like a bad little puppy dog by you! You can't even keep your clients at work under control, let alone me!"

Ariyami had crossed the line. Cal's hand swinging back was the last thing Ariyami saw before being hurled back onto the couch by a powerful slap. He leapt back up and growled angrily at his father, and Ken and Ariyuki saw tears mounting in his eyes through the sun glasses; Cal had really hurt him. "Don't you snarl at me, Ariyami!" said Cal. "Get out of my sight before I hit you again!"

Still glaring at Cal, Ariyami staggered toward Ken's room. However, before he disappeared into the hallway, he swerved back around, his fists clenched and shaking. He pointed at Cal and shouted, "I hate you, Cal! I hope you just disappear off the face of this Earth and never come back!" then Ariyami teleported into Ken's room.

Cal stared; even though Ariyami wasn't a blood child of his, his words still went through his heart like a knife. He slumped into the couch, his face buried in his hands. While Ariyuki ran to see Ariyami, Ken and Molly sat next to Cal. Before Ken said anything, Cal spoke for him, "I don't know what's gotten into me. I've been...short tempered a lot, and I don't mean to be."

"Cal?" Molly said uncertainly.

Cal stood up. "I'm sorry. I need to see Ariyami." he walked toward to hall, but just as he tried to take a step to Ken's door, felt himself being stopped. "I can't," he said, "I don't have the nerve." Just as Cal walked over to the counter to get a drink, he noticed an envelope. "Oh, no!" he cried, "I forgot to take this to work! I'll have to deliver it now."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow, Cal?" Molly asked.

"Afraid not. These are vital clues to a suspected murder. We need these. I'll be home soon."

"Be careful, Dad!" Ken called after him as he went out the door.

"Oh, and Ken," said Cal before shutting the door, "Will you apologize to Ariyami for me? I don't have the courage to face him."

"Sure, Dad. Bye!" once Cal had left, Ken sauntered to his room and opened the door. "Hey, guys!" he began, but stopped when he realized that Ariyuki and Ariyami were sitting on the bottom bunk, reading Ken's D-Terminal with worry on their faces.

"It's from T.K." said Ariyami. "The Digimon Sovereign's attacking the Digital World right now! They need our help!"

"Right!" said Ken, "Wormmon, let's go!"

"C'mon, Midori!"

"Let's get 'em, Neomon!"

In no time, the three Ichijouji's and their Digimon had entered the portal to the Digital World. They all knew they were in the right spot when they saw a Control Spire right in front of them.

"Guys! Over here!" They heard Davis shout. They turned and saw Davis poking his head out from behind a cave.

"What are you guys doing?" Ariyami asked, running in with Ken and Ariyuki.

"Hiding from the Sovereign. What's it look like, Kaiser?!" Yolei said impatiently.

Ariyami scowled. "You are rude like Hell, Porky-Legs!"

"_What did you call me_?!" Yolei and Ariyami were at each other's throats.

"Not now, guys," whispered Kari urgently, "The Digimon Sovereign's still out their!"

"Who's scared of the Sovereign when we've got all that is Hell right next to us?" Ariyami pointed at Yolei.

"That's it! You're gonna die!" Yolei tackled Ariyami and they both rolled out of the cave. The fight ended when Ariyami pinned Yolei and restrained her arms. It wasn't until the others arrived that Ariyami realized that this was a 'not right' position and leapt up immediately.

"Let that be a lesson to you," said Ariyami, "You don't mess with the best!"

"And let _me _teach you a lesson: You don't oppose your master!" everyone wheeled around and found The Digimon Sovereign riding Kuromon above them.

"Now look what you've done, Ari-_idiot_!" scolded Yolei, "He's found us!"

"It's hard to miss someone who's scream can be heard a mile away," noted the Sovereign. "You two are so loud I could have shot you in the dark." he then smirked. "In fact, why don't we try that?" he held his hand in the air and a ball of blackness appeared and spread out everywhere until the entire sky was engulfed in darkness, "Now for The Grand Finale!" he pulled a long silver flute out from his cloak; with the instrument glistening in the darkness, he played a hauntingly beautiful melody.

"That song is so pretty and so scary." said Kari, shivering.

The moment was spoiled by Davis sobbing, "It's so sad and beautiful!" he wailed.

However, what happened next was not sad, pretty, or beautiful; a large creature broke through the foggy blackness and sat at his master's side. His body was like a jigsaw puzzle; the legs of Garurumon, the body of Greymon, and about ten other different Digimon body parts made this creature.

"Kimeramon," whispered Ken.

"So," said Cody, "You actually recreated him, huh?"

"Of course," drawled the Sovereign, "Who could let this beautiful thing go to waste?"

"Just tell me this," said Ken, "How did you know about Kimeramon's existence?"

"I read your notes, of course," the Sovereign put simply, "If I tell anymore, though, you'll figure everything out."

"You won't be able to control him for much longer!" shouted Ken, "He'll overpower and betray you!"

"_This _slave of mine? Let's get real, Kenny Boy; Kimeramon wouldn't dare betray me. Would you, my little Digimon?" Kimeramon growled a reply, "That's my good little slave. Now..._attack_!"

Kimeramon dashed forward with his great wings while The Digimon Sovereign hovered in the air, watching with delight.

"Midori! Crystal Digivolve!"

"Kailomon, Crystal Digivolve to...Mysticmon!" Mysticmon soared into the air after her quarry, that is until Ariyuki called her back and gave her orders to destroy the Control Spire. She obeyed and aimed a Twilight Flash attack at the large black obelisk. It shattered and the dark energy inside it disappeared.

In no time, five other Digimon were in the air and one on ground. Soon each of them were fighting their hardest to destroy Kimeramon: "Celestial Arrow!", "Hand of Fate!", "V Laser!", "Spiking Strike!", "Grand Horn!", "Tail Hammer!", "Twilight Flash!"

But none had any effect. Kimeramon swept them all away with one hit of his Devimon arm. "You Digidestined entertain me so much! I'm never disappointed!" called the Digimon Sovereign, laughingly. "Here, have some more guests!" he raised his silver sword in the air and in an instant two Flymon appeared.

"What will you have us do, Master? Our lives are at your disposal." they both said.

"Have some fun with our guests." the Flymon nodded and made to attack, but The Sovereign called one of them back and hissed instructions in its ear. It laughed and went to follow its master's orders.

"Take that, Kimeramon!" Yolei cheered as Aquilamon shot another Grand Horn attack toward him.

"We've got company!" Davis warned, noticing the Flymon.

"Let's take them out first!" shouted T.K.

"You got it, T.K." said Angemon. He flew toward one of them. "Hand of Fate!" he cried while sending his fist careening forward. It made direct contact and the Flymon disintegrated and was deleted.

"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon shot an arrow toward the other, but to both her and Kari's shock, it dodged and swerved behind them, grabbing Kari and flying off.

"Help!" she screamed, fighting against the Flymon's painful claws.

"Kari!" everyone shouted in desperation.

"I have her, Master. Now what should I do with her?" the Flymon asked the Sovereign.

He grinned at her. "Fly off and do what you wish, just keep her alive and from the others for now. I wish to see something."

"As you command, oh powerful one." and the Flymon made to leave.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but my friends will help me!" Kari shouted.

"Not if they can't reach you in time," The Sovereign sneered. "Have fun."

Ariyami watched as the Flymon took off; filled with rage, he darted off after them. The others made to follow, but The Digimon Sovereign summoned more minions in addition to Kimeramon. They all realized that Kari's hope for survival rested with Ariyami alone.

"We can't fight them!" Ken hollered. "We have to make a run for it!" everyone landed on the ground.

"Where can we go?" Yolei asked, hiding with the others under the brush of a well shaded tree.

"The only place we can go is home," T.K. realized. "If we stay here we're dead."

"But Kari and Ari-" Yolei began with difficulty. She was worried for Kari, and even though she didn't want to admit it, she was worried for Ariyami as well.

"Please understand, Yolei," said Ken. "There's nothing more we can do. Ariyami's on his own. And he knows that. I can feel it. So lets go; we aren't any use here."

The Digimon Sovereign watched, amused as the Digidestined ran back through the portal to the Real World. Then he turned his attention to Ariyami, who wasn't too far away. "Hey, Ariyami!" he called, making him look back. "Catch!" he hurled what looked like a Dark Ring at him. Terrified, Ariyami flew as fast as he could, both away from the ring, and toward Kari.

_I don't know what that ring does, but I bet it's no good_, he thought, fearfully. "Kari, I'm coming!" he shouted, flying faster.

"Please help, Ariyami! I'm scared!" Kari cried to him, continuing to fight against her subjugator. 

Quickly, Ariyami summoned a ball of energy and, making his aim careful and true, hurled it right at Flymon's head, killing him instantly. Kari fell through the air but for only an instant before Ariyami had her in safely in his arms. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "Thank you, Ariyami."

"It's no problem-Agh!" Ariyami checked his wrist and found that that Dark Ring had caught up with him. "Oh, no," he murmured weakly.

"What's wrong, Ariyami? What's that thing doing to you?" Kari asked, terrified.

"I think...I think I'm losing my power, my energy...I've gotta land...Hang on..." Ariyami was thinking quick; he had to land before his power gave out. He flew downward to the forest quickly and clumsily; at least in the forest they'd be safe from the Sovereign. Then, before Ariyami knew it, his power ran out and they were dropping rapidly.

Just as they fell through the trees, Ariyami used the last bit of his consciousness and energy to grab a sturdy branch about ten feet from the ground. However, his energy ran out and his grip slipped from the branch and they both hit the ground. Kari was okay; Ariyami had made sure that she landed on his body so she wouldn't be hurt. 

"Ariyami?" Kari shook him, but he didn't stir. "Ariyami, please wake up! Please!" Ariyami grunted a reply. "Oh, thank God. Are you okay?"

"Tired," he moaned. "This ring, this _thing _sucked all my energy out. The Sovereign knew that. That's why he made sure only I came after you; he wanted to test his new toy on me."

Kari tried with all her strength to yank the bracelet off, but it wouldn't budge. "I can't get it off." she lifted his head off the ground and held him. "I'm sorry; in a sense, it's my fault. You came to save me and it cost you."

"Hey, the others wanted to save you too," muttered Ariyami, "It's not your fault and this is nothing to worry about. But, I am glad you care about me; nobody else seems to."

"What?" Kari stared Ariyami in the eyes. For the first time she found helplessness in them. "What makes you think no one else cares about you?"

"Well, I know Ariyuki does, but he-he's just a child; he doesn't really understand. And you guys, the others don't really like me; they only put up with me because of Ken. Yolei hates me, T.K. can't stand talking to me, Davis is just plain stupid, and Cody would give anything to kill me. And Ken, I think he only takes me in is because he thinks I'm important; not to mention, Cal despises me beyond all belief."

"Well, You should understand, Ariyami, Ken loves you like a brother; he's told me so. The others may not like you, but they didn't like Ken at first either. Please understand." Kari began stroking Ariyami's hair, making him blush.

"Kari, I-" but he was cut off by an energy shot flying right over their heads. It was Kuromon coming to finish them off. "Let's get outta here!" he cried, but found himself barely able to move. Kari helped him by putting his arm over her shoulder. Ariyami pointed into the forest, "That way! I know a place we can hide!"

Kari staggered as fast as she could with Ariyami into the forest. Before she knew it, he steered her right to a gigantic rock. "There's no where to go!"

"Looks can be deceiving." he said. He got clear on his stomach and crawled under a crack in the rock. Astounded, Kari did the same. The both watched from their hiding place as Kuromon looked all around in an attempt to find them. They released their breath when she had gone. "That was close," he said. "We'll have to hide out here for a while, at least until I can get this thing off."

"But Ariyami, we can barely move down here. How can you expect us to stay here?" Kari pointed out.

"Once again, looks can be deceiving. Follow me!" Ariyami crawled farther down the small passage, with the confused Kari behind him. A few feet forward, Ariyami had led her, to her surprise, to a large stone room, like the interior of a cave. Burnt wood was in the middle and fur blankets were rolled up in a corner.

"What is this place?" Kari asked, breath taken.

"My home, well, what use to be my home. When I found out I could go to this world, I found this cave, gathered my supplies, and stayed here." using the _very _little power that he had left, he managed to start a fire on a new pile of wood.

"Where did you get the fur?" Kari asked. Then she stared suspiciously, "You didn't kill a Digimon for it, did you?"

"Of course not!" replied Ariyami, sounding hurt. Just as Kari let out a sigh, he added, "It was already dead. Before it was deleted, I acted fast and took its fur. I was freezing, Kari! Hungry?"

"No thanks," said Kari. "I can't stand to think what kind of Digimon you eat."

"I don't. I get this meat from the real world; I steal turkey, chicken, and all kinds of things. I can make some real good noodles."

Kari tried to refuse, but her stomach didn't agree. "Well, okay. Just a bit." However, when Ariyami had finished making his noodles, Kari ate way more than either one of them thought.

It rained later that night, and Ariyami and Kari both left the cave to see and feel it. They sat right outside the cave and didn't say a thing. It was only after they were completely soaked did Kari say anything. "Ariyami?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you saying earlier today?" she asked, staring at him. Ariyami stared back, then went red remembering. Kari laughed, noticing his deep blushing. "You're the silent, gentle type, aren't you?"

"What d'you mean? Last I checked I'm perfectly capable of hurling people into lakes." Ariyami gulped as Kari drew closer.

"I mean a gentle loved one."

Ariyami went furiously red and tried to pretend he didn't have a clue what she was talking about. "What d'you mean?"

"Only this." she reached close and kissed him on the cheek. Then she giggled and stood up. "Do you love me, Ariyami?" she asked loudly while giggling and blushing.

"What's gotten into you, Kari? You don't act like this toward Davis, T.K., or Ken." Ariyami, laughing, also stood up. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful Kari was in the rain, her hair saturated and dark, and her cheeks red from both blushing and the cold rain.

"I don't know. I mean, I've always felt something for you, Ariyami, but never like this. I guess its because with that ring on your wrist, you're more human and not so superior. It feels...like you need me." Kari stepped closer, right in front of Ariyami.

"What are you talking about? I'm still plenty superior!" he grinned his devilish grin. Kari giggled and reached her hand out. She touched the side handle on Ariyami's sunglasses and made to take them off, but he stopped her by putting his hand on hers.

"Don't," he said.

"What's wrong?" she asked, pulling her hand away.

"I don't know. I just...don't feel comfortable looking at people with my own eyes, or having them staring at my eyes." when she only stared at him curiously, he added, "Let's get inside; it's getting cold."

Back in the cave, Kari sat in front of the warm crackling fire with a fur blanket around her, trying to get warm. _Why doesn't he trust me_? she thought, staring at his sleeping figure next to her; she couldn't see much of his body, but a curled up lump under the furs told her he was there. _Or, moreover, why don't I trust him? I want to be able to hold him, or to have him holding me. But there's always something holding me back. It could be the knowledge that he's Darkness and I'm light. Or maybe I'm just afraid that he'll reject me_...

Just then, Ariyami sat up and stretched. "Can't sleep," he told her. 

"Your hair is dripping wet," she informed him, giggling. Now that she thought about it, Ariyami with wet hair looked a lot like Ken with sunglasses. When he shook his head dry, however, it fluffed back out to its spiky way. He scratched the back of his head and gave a Davis sort of laugh. "So, what's your past, Ariyami? Do you remember anything?"

"Nope," he said, "The first thing I could remember was me falling from the cold sky. I wasn't much of a person, though. I had emotions, yes, but I couldn't control them, or my feelings for that matter. A friend, uh, a man found me and took care of me for a while. Strange as it sounds, he seems to know exactly where I come from; he taught me all about life and about things here. He's like a father, really."

"Who is he?" Kari asked.

"Well," Ariyami hesitated. He didn't seem to want to talk about it. "his name is Alanoko, but I call him Alan. He's got a little daughter named Merikah, but I call her Meri. She was born with bad eyes and they were suddenly getting worse. I swore I'd find a way to help her, and I did. I found the rare plants here in the Digital World and mixed it into a potion."

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, at least until they get the operation done."

"Wait a second! Does Alan know about the Digital World?!" Kari suddenly inquired.

"Yeah. That's what puzzled me. He knew so much about it, it was scary." Ariyami stood up and removed his shirt to dry it.

"Do you ever ask him about it?"

"Nah. He's got his business and I've got mine. I'll introduce you sometime, though. Night, Kari." Ariyami snuggled back under his lair of fur to sleep.

"Good-night, Ariyami," and Kari did the same, curling up under the blankets and yawning, little caring about what tomorrow may bring. 


	9. Ch9: Kyogomon, Sirenmon, and Shadowmon

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Kyogomon (though he's only really in this chapter) (more to come in future chapters) I don't own the Digidestined or their parents. Half of this fic is basically a journey for Ariyami and Kari in The Digital World alone. The other half is Ken and Ariyuki trying to find them. Also, I realized that I spelled the Digimon Sovereign's Digimon, Shiromon's name wrong. I was trying to make it the Japanese name for 'white', but was using an 'N' instead of an 'R'. Just read the story and you'll see what I mean. 

Chapter Nine:

Kyogomon, Sirenmon, and Shadowmon

__

Born from Darkness, in the Light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night.

Kari awoke the next morning and sat up, feeling refreshed; Ariyami's furs were quite comfortable. Thinking of Ariyami, she turned to look at his sleeping figure. He had moved a considerable amount in his sleep last night. Before he was right next to the fire; now he was basically facing the wall.

Kari giggled and sneaked over to see him. How peaceful he looked. Kari sighed; if only she could sleep like he could. Then again, he _is _Ken's darker side, making him care less about things. The sound of rocks scraping under Kari's feet woke Ariyami with a start. "It's okay. No alarm," said Kari cautiously. "Sleep well?"

"Can't say much," he yawned and stretched. "What time is it?"

Kari checked her watch. "It's ten forty-five on a Saturday morning!" she said briskly. Kari watched Ariyami stand up and stretch some more, yawning loudly; if only she could be as care free as him. Then she saw Ariyami's face fall as he noticed the dark ring on his wrist again.

"Why won't this come off?" he wondered angrily.

"We just have to try different things. I'm sure there's someone in the Digital World who can help us."

"_It's not fair_!" he bellowed. "I _hate _this thing!"

"Ariyami, calm down!" Kari ordered, acting as though she were talking to an eight year-old. "It's not gonna come off if you yell at it!"

Ariyami scoffed and slid out of sight under the cave. Kari followed; it was a bright sunny day in the Digital World. The Digimon Sovereign seemed not to be around. Kari was grateful for it; she knew perfectly well that the two of them versus a boy with magical powers would be no match. "It's beautiful out, isn't it?" she asked. Ariyami didn't answer. "What's wrong, Ariyami?"

"I'm wondering...Just who is this kid and where did he get his power? It's just...When I see him, when I feel his energy, it doesn't feel..._right_. Like his power's not natural." Ariyami turned and stared at Kari. "Something's giving him this extra energy, and I don't know what." He then put on a goofy smile, "Oh, well. No point worrying about it now, huh?"

Kari giggled. "Yeah."

The two of them had barely taken a step forward when they heard a rustling in the bushes next to them. They spun around in alarm, facing the shaking bush. Friend, or foe?

"Come out of there!" Ariyami commanded. The bush shook more violently; Ariyami braced himself for his enemy. Then he heard a strangely familiar sound:

"Ouch! Stupid bush! Ow-my ear!"

"Neomon?" Ariyami moved the bush aside and found his coal black Digimon rubbing his forehead with anger. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Ariyami. Everything alright?" Neomon's crystal eyes shone brightly.

"Can't say much. I thought you were with the others," Ariyami stared back at Neomon with a riddled expression.

"They all escaped back through the portal; they couldn't get anywhere near you guys, so they thought the best thing to do was to get away and wait."

"Smart," said Kari. "We should go and meet up with them. I'm sure there's a portal device around here somewhere."

"Good luck," said Neomon sarcastically. "The Digimon Sovereign, before he left back for the real world, ordered Digimon to post guard at every portal around here."

"Then we'll just have to find a portal that _isn't _around here," stated Ariyami.

Kari looked slightly shocked, "And where can we go?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "I mean, unless your Digimon can Digivolve and fly us around, we won't be getting anywhere fast!"

"That's where the adventure lies!" Ariyami exclaimed. "This is a perfect time for me to get used to regular human things."

So, after coaxing Kari to go with him, Ariyami, Kari, and Neomon all set out toward the desert, as it was the closet place with portals. Once in a while they'd stop for a rest, and sometimes Ariyami would ask Kari to help him try to tug the ring off. "The sooner this thing comes off, the sooner I can fly again," he'd say. Neomon would practice his tackle attack on branches and bushes, making Kari and Ariyami clap with joy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Ken lay on his bed, brooding and feeling guilty about leaving his friends alone in the Digital World. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Ariyuki's question. "What?"

"I said, Do you wanna go back to the Digiworld? I mean, The Sovereign might not be there anymore, ya know?"

"Yeah, that might be a good plan." Ken leapt off of his bunk and dug around his desk drawer for his Digivice. Just then the phone rang. Ken cursed under his breath and went to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"_Hi, Ken. It's me_."

"Lilith?"

"_Yeah. I was wondering if you'd like to come get an ice cream with me. We could take Wormmon, Ariyuki, and Ariyami too._" Lilith's voice was shy.

"I'm sorry, I can't, Lilith. Ariyami and Kari are in danger in the Digital World. Me and Ariyuki are going to find them." Ken explained.

"_They are? Well let me come with you! I can help_!"

"I'm sorry, Lilith. But this is between me and the Sovereign, ya get me?" Ken was begging that he hadn't hurt her feelings.

"_Oh, I see. Well, I'll see ya later then. Bye Ken_!" and Lilith hung up.

Ken let out a low whistle. She was way more understanding than Davis ever could be. "Ready to go, Ariyuki?"

"Ready!" Ariyuki's voice echoed from the bedroom. Calling for Wormmon, who was snoozing on the couch, Ken ran to the computer monitor and turned it on.

"Ken, wait for me!" Wormmon crawled in as fast as his many legs could carry him.

"Glad I'm not a caterpillar," noted Midori.

"Let's go!" Ken shouted, him and the others being engulfed in the bright white radiance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ack! I can't take this anymore! All this walking; how do you people live?!"

"We just get used to it, I guess." Kari and Neomon had stopped again to wait for Ariyami, who was sitting on his knees and whining. They had been traveling in the desert for about three miles now and still no sign of a way out. Their water provisions were running low and moral was too.

Neomon grinned, thinking of something. "Gee, I wonder if the _Kaiser_ whined as much as Ariyami does when he gets tired." his plan worked; Ariyami, his eyes in a rage, leapt back onto his feet and advanced on his Digimon.

"Listen here, people! If I have to run to the ends of the Earth, I will if it will make you realize that I'm _nothing _like the Kaiser!"

"Lighten up, Ariyami," said Kari, alarmed, "We were trying to get you up."

"Yeah, well...It hurts people's feelings when they're constantly being compared to..._other _things." Ariyami pouted. Kari smiled and at the moment a shadow passed over them all. They look up and saw Birdramon flying high above them.

"Birdramon!" Kari called, "Down here! Birdra-" but just then Ariyami slapped his hand over her mouth and pushed himself and her to the ground. She removed his hand; "What're you doing, Ariyami? She's our ticket outta here!"

"Yeah, right into the custody of the Sovereign!" his whispered loudly, pointing up at Birdramon's talons. There was a dark spiral wrapped around it.

"Oh, no...Birdramon..." Kari felt like she wanted to cry; one of her best friends was enslaved by the Digimon Sovereign. 

"Let's try to sneak around her," Ariyami suggested. At that moment, however, Birdramon circled and dived right for them. 

"Run for it!" Neomon cried. All three of them ran with all of their speed to get away, but Birdramon was far too fast. She swooped in and grabbed Neomon by his long fluffy tail.

"Neomon!" Ariyami shouted, "Put him down, you!"

"Ariyami! Help me, please!" Neomon begged, frightened tears forming in his crystal eyes.

"We have to get Birdramon's attention." stated Kari.

"Great idea!" Ariyami picked up a handful of rocks next to his feet and began hurling them one by one at Birdramon. "Over here, Big Bird! Come and get me!" Birdramon, her eyes gleaming with hatred at the pain of having rocks thrown at her talons, swerved back for Ariyami. When she came into range, he bounded for her other talon, and the crazy ride began.

Ariyami hung on tightly to her right leg as he and Neomon soared above the clouds. Though the sky was fresh and beautiful, Ariyami didn't have time to notice; although he was back in the air, he was in major danger of being thrown to the ground. Just then, Birdramon shook her right talon viciously and Ariyami and Neomon were thrown off. They shrieked with terror as they plummeted out of control. With a flash of her clawed talon, Birdramon grasped Ariyami by his leg and he was dangling upside-down while Neomon fell right into Kari's arms.

"Let me go!" he bellowed, scratching at her claws.

"Not until I get the other one. I was sent by The Sovereign to retrieve you two," Birdramon replied.

"Kari, look out!" Ariyami cried from his strange position as Birdramon dived. Too late; before Kari could do anything, Birdramon had her in her left talon while Kari held Neomon tightly. "Put us down, you damn dirty bird!" Ariyami cursed up at her. Then he remembered the dark spiral. "Neomon!" he pointed at the spiral.

"Way ahead of ya, Ariyami!" Neomon crawled up Kari's shoulder and Birdramon's talons. He first chewed at the spiral, which had no effect. Then he resorted to using his Dark Lightning attack. A small black lightning bolt shot right at the spiral, eliminating it.Birdramon swayed a little, then landed back on the ground to release her captives.

"Don't worry about it, Birdramon; you were under the control of The Digimon Sovereign." Kari reassured her sweetly.

"Yes, but I still feel I owe you something. How about a ride? Anywhere in particular?" before any of them could respond, Birdramon interrupted; "You know, I saw something very odd around here. It looked like a crystal fortress flying around."

"A crystal fortress?" Kari repeated. "What do you think it's for?"

"I'm willing to bet it's The Digimon Sovereign's base," said Ariyami.

"That could be it!" exclaimed Kari, her fist hitting her hand.

"It must be," said Birdramon. "I thought the same thing you guys are and I flew around the where the Digimon Emperor's destroyed base was but it was gone."

"Gone?" repeated Neomon.

"The Sovereign must have used its parts to create his own base," said Ariyami thoughtfully. "It would explain how he knows all about us; he uses the data from the old base."

"We have to go there!" said Kari.

"I'll carry you," suggested Birdramon. "It's the least I can do."

"Thanks!" Kari, Ariyami, and Neomon said simultaneously.

Now boarding Birdramon, the three of them set off. The air in the sky was refreshing and Kari loved the feel of it. Ariyami was nothing less of solemn; it was wonderful to be back in the air, yes, but it still didn't carry the joy and sensation of flying on your own and being able to control how fast or slow you were going. Kari touched his shoulder, "You will get your powers back Ariyami. I promise."

"What's this about you losing your powers, new one?" Birdramon asked.

Before Ariyami could stop her, Kari explained everything, "...and now he can't fly or do anything magical as long as that thing is on him."

"That _does_ sound like a dilemma," said Birdramon. "Tell you what: When we land I'll try to break the ring off. I'll try my best as you tried your best to destroy my dark spiral."

Just then Ariyami and Kari were blinded by a sudden white flash. Their hands over their eyes to create a protective shadow, they saw a wondrous sight before them. A circle of small white crystals hovered and spun in the air, encircling three gigantic water blue crystals in the center. This had to be the Digimon Sovereign's head quarters.

"We're here," stated Neomon. At that moment a ball of fire shot from somewhere on the ground. The Sovereign's enslaved forces must have detected them. Another hit to Birdramon's stomach sent her and the others plummeting to the ground. By the force of the fall, Kari, Ariyami, and Neomon were flung off of her and in a different direction. While the other three had no idea where Birdramon was, they had their own problems; their fall had been broken by a towering Digimon.

He was green and scaly and had a bull's face and horns. He carried a gigantic club and had a strange mark on his face. His red eyes in an apparent frenzy, he spoke to them. "Well, what do ya know? Three little bits of food fell from the sky."

"Listen, buddy. I'm no one's main course." said Ariyami.

"Who said you were the main course? You're just the appetizer!"

"Look out, Ariyami!" shouted Neomon. "That's Kyogomon! A desert Digimon with immense strength! Beating him isn't gonna be cake!"

Just then, Kyogomon's club went hurling down upon them. Ariyami grabbed Kari by the arm and dashed out of the way, knowing Neomon made his own way of escape. "What are we gonna do, Ariyami? That thing seems invincible!" Kari cried.

"There's gotta be a way to beat him!" Ariyami shouted.

Suddenly Kyogomon grabbed Kari and held her whole body in his one gigantic fist. "A pretty little thing you are," he grinned a disgusting grin. The next thing he knew he was yowling in pain. Neomon had jumped onto his back and was biting and clawing at him. He dropped Kari and reached his huge club to whack Neomon. He leapt out of the way, however, and Kyogomon smacked himself.

"Way to go, Neo!" Ariyami praised.

"I'll get you both for this!" Kyogomon grunted. While he advanced on the once cocky pair, they turned and made to run, but a rock in Ariyami's way that he hadn't seen tripped him. He slid far; so far that he almost fell off of the cliff that they hadn't noticed before.

"Ariyami, run!" cried Kari.

Ariyami wanted to, but where could he go? He was cornered by Kyogomon, and by the looks of it, he wasn't joking about killing them. Kyogomon smirked with the satisfaction of killing once more. As Ariyami slowly crab crawled away, his hand ran over something. He looked down and saw his hand landed on a rusty sword, apparently once belonging to a Digimon. 

He picked it up and looked at it and just as he did, saw Kyogomon advancing in the reflection. With nothing left to lose, Ariyami bolted forth and, just as Kyogomon hurled his club down, Ariyami thrust the blade up and ran him through. No blood came out, but Kyogomon staggered backward and fell to his knees. Kari and Neomon each ran forth to Ariyami, who's body was shaking with the aftermath of shock.

"Are you alright?" Kari asked with great concern.

"Yeah, just very tired." Ariyami flumped onto his backside and sighed. Just then, Kyogomon spoke up.

"You...may have destroyed me...but there's one thing you don't know..." he grunted in pain as his body began to delete. "When you kill a Kyogomon...you _will_ fall victim to it's...final...blow!"

"Huh? What's this guy ramblin' on about now?" Ariyami inquired.

"Heh, you act so smug now...but lets see how you feel when you lose your Digimon!" he aimed his hand at Neomon. "Kyogomon Curse!" he bellowed, and a blast of a sickly green light shot out toward Neomon.

"Neomon!" Ariyami, with the desire to protect his Digimon, ran forth and stood between Neomon and the curse. He took the full force and was thrown backwards.

"_Ariyami_!" Kari cried. "_No_!" feeling good about his final blast, Kyogomon grinned as he was completely deleted. Kari ran to Ariyami, who was laying on the ground. He was still breathing; the curse seemed not to even have effect. "Oh, thank God! You're alright!"

Just then a Dark Tyrannomon with a dark ring came into view as he charged after them. "Let's get outta here!" cried Neomon.

"Let's go, Ariyami!" Kari shouted, waiting for Ariyami to catch up with them, but all he did was stand up and sway slightly. The hit from the attack must have made him dizzy. "Behind you, Ariyami! It's coming right for us!" Ariyami turned around but didn't move. Kari ran forth and grabbed Ariyami's arm, "Come on!" Kari ran in the opposite direction of the Dark Tyrannomon with Ariyami staggering behind her. She then came to a halt in front on the cliff; it looked like a long drop.

Ariyami, however, didn't stop running and crashed right into Kari, sending them both tumbling down the cliff, Neomon running after them. When they hit the soft bottom, Kari, slightly dazed, gazed up and saw Dark Tyrannomon. They were safely out of his reach. Then she rounded on Ariyami, who was trying to stand up. "You idiot!" she bellowed. "What were you thinking? That thing nearly crushed you!"

Ariyami reached his hand out to feel Kari's face. "What're you doing?" she asked, throwing his hands off her.

"Kari?" he asked. "I can't...I..."

"Huh?" suddenly thinking of something, Kari frantically waved her hand in front of Ariyami's face. He made no response. Kyogomon's curse had effected him after all; Ariyami had gone blind.

"I can't see a thing," he murmured.

"Ariyami," said Kari gently, "Kyogomon's curse worked after all; you're blind."

"Don't worry," added Neomon who was watching the horrified Ariyami, "All Kyogomon curses have a cure."

"Then what is it?!" he hollered at his Digimon.

Just then, a gust of wind blew over them all, and, mixed with the wind was a whisper of Kyogomon's voice. "_To defeat the curse that has been bestowed, follow the road where the Sirenmon chant_. _Where the fire creates its burning death, water has the grand power to heal all_..." and his voice trailed off. 

"Oh, _great_!" bellowed Ariyami sarcastically, tripping over his own feet and falling over. "A riddle! I nice little _riddle_ to follow!" he spat out sand from his mouth.

"Sirenmon?" questioned Kari. "Neomon, what're-"

But Neomon shook his head. "Don't ask me. I've never been to the water ends before. That's something Midori would know."

"I'm doomed," Ariyami proclaimed hopelessly, clumsily falling to the ground.

"We may all be doomed!" Kari shouted, pointing up at the cliff where Dark Tyrannomon was skiing down to them. She grabbed Ariyami's arm. "We've gotta find a place to hide!" With Neomon leading the way, Kari, holding Ariyami's hand to guide him, darted away as fast as she could. 

Just when Neomon's legs began to get sore, a turned his head and found a well hidden cave to the right. "This way!" he called desperately, bounding to his right. Kari and Ariyami did the same. Hiding behind the cave walls, Kari poked her head around and spied Dark Tyrannomon running past the cave. "Ever notice how stupid the Digimon under the control of dark rings are?" Neomon inquired laughingly. 

"We'll have to stay here until night fall," Kari told both of them. "It's not safe during the day."

"Ya know what?" said Ariyami suddenly, trying and failing to stand up. "I bet that Kyogo-freak's riddle is talking about water! I bet I have to get my eyes wet in water!" he laughed proudly and created a strong resemblance to Davis.

"That could be right," said Kari uncertainly, "but where can we get any water? We're in the desert."

"I could spit in your eyes, Ariyami," suggested Neomon.

"What?! I'd rather be blind than have someone spit in my eyes!" shouted Ariyami, disgusted.

"I was just trying to help," pouted Neomon.

"Well, we dropped our water supplies back on the cliff," Kari pointed out, "So, where else can we find water? I doubt Ariyami will live long enough for us to make it to a place that does have water."

All three of them stepped outside to see if anyone else was after them. "I bet _he _does," said Neomon, pointing up at the Digimon Sovereign's fortress.

"Who's he?" asked Ariyami, unable to see where Neomon was pointing.

"There's no way," Kari disputed. "We can't go up there! What do you expect us to do? walk up and say 'Hi, Digimon Sovereign. I know we're arch nemeses, but could we borrow some water'?"

"Of course not. We'll sneak in." said Neomon. "We'll be in and out; he'll never know we were there."

"I really don't like this." muttered Kari.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, man, Ariyuki. I'm getting tired of walking. Can't we stop and rest?"

"Ken? Can we take a small break? We've been searching for hours." Ariyuki complained. 

Ken gazed down at his own Digimon, who was looking weary. He sat down, "Sure. No point in being in a big hurry; we don't even know where to look."

Ariyuki uncorked a bottle of water, drank some, and poured a bowl of it for Midori. Just as she was placidly lapping the water, her ears pricked forward. "Ya hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ariyuki asked.

"That sound." Midori started walking forward. Ariyuki followed, along with Ken, who was carrying Wormmon.

"I hear it too!" exclaimed Ariyuki suddenly. "Singing!"

"So do I," noted Ken. "It sounds like a chorus. The music's remarkable!" And so it was. The song was beautiful and haunting. It caused Midori's green fur to prickle. The combined sounds of high and low voices made the melody enchanting.

Ariyuki started to run toward the music. "Ariyuki, wait!" called Ken. But Ariyuki wasn't listening; he and Midori continued to run with Ken and Wormmon following suit until they both came to a halt behind a bush. Ariyuki and Midori peered over it and saw, in the deep water ahead of them, a choir of singing human-like creatures. Their skin color was a variety of blue, light blue, and cerulean. Their long hair was practically the same color tone; light blue. Some had ornaments in their hair like sea shells or amethyst stones.

Their eye tint varied from blue to purple to bright green. Each creature had long pointed ears, some had pearl earrings pierced into them. There were about twelve of them. Five appeared to be men while the other seven were women. However, one of these women was the lead singer and Ariyuki could make out every word of her crystal voice:

__

In the realm of time,

I wait for you, The Mystic

Your valiant strength sublime,

Your immortal spirit shining

I hold you in my loving heart,

I feel your soul with mine

I call to you, the mystic one,

I'm never far behind

Then the song ended. Ariyuki, not thinking, walked toward them while clapping. All of the beautiful creatures stared at him with curiosity while Ken ran forth and grabbed Ariyuki by his braid. "Uh, sorry," he said, pulling Ariyuki back. "Didn't mean to intrude on your singing. We'll be going now."

"There is no intrusion. We welcome you and the young one." the lead singer spoke. Her voice was pure and sweet like a chime and seemed to echo slightly. Then Midori and Wormmon came out of the bushes. "And more guests," she added kindly.

"Wow," murmured Midori, stupefied. "Sirenmon."

"What are they?" Ken asked.

"Beautiful mermaid-like Digimon. Unlike the dangerous seductive Sirens told in folklore, these water-dwelling Digimon are kind and pure. Each Sirenmon is born with its own unique song. In fact, the only thing these Digimon like better than singing is swimming and playing. They believe only in peace and are probably the only Digimon race that isn't enslaved by the Digimon Sovereign." Midori informed.

"Your singing was pretty," Ariyuki told them all, walking closer until he was standing on the edge of the land.

"Well, if you thought we sang good as we were, imagine how we could sing if we had our conductor with us," chimed the Sirenmon.

"Where's your conductor?" Ariyuki asked.

The Sirenmon all looked mournful. "She is sick," the leader informed. "We fear she won't make it through the night. We are sad for her."

A young male spoke up, his face looking determined, "We have been calling for help from the Mystics. They might be able to cure her sickness."

"Well," said Ariyuki, fingering his braid, "I don't know who these Mystics are, but I could probably help. I have healing powers and there's not a control spire around, so I might be able to heal her, right Ken?"

Ken nodded and the leader sang, "Then let it be so. Take my hand, child, for you will be taken under the water ends and would suffocate before we got there. Touch my hand, however, and you will be granted the ability to breath underwater while you still have a hold." Ariyuki nodded. "Then let us go."

Ariyuki jumped into the extremely deep water in front of him and took the leader's hand. "I'll be back soon, Ken!" he called, waving his other arm in the air. He then dived down with the chorus leader guiding him. "So, what's wrong with her?" he asked, astounded at the clarity of his voice underwater.

"We do not know. Her head is like fire to the touch and refuses to eat whatever we give her," she looked sad and somewhat afraid. "Tell me you are not fighting on the sides of the tyrant known as The Digimon Sovereign."

"We aren't," replied Ariyuki honestly, "We're trying to stop him and his recreated creature, Kimeramon." Ariyuki saw the woman flinch at sound of the Digimon's name.

"He is unnatural and impure, this creature. His soul is of Devimon and his heart is black and treacherous. We thought the worst had come when he was first unleashed by The Digimon Emperor, called _Kaiser_ among the Sirenmon; he took the lives of many of our people and our clans."

Ariyuki suddenly began to brood; Ken had never told him that _he _originally created Kimeramon, at least not in front of him. His mind was distracted, however, by the sounds of more songs right ahead. In the distance, Ariyuki could make out a dark blue structure, what seemed like a temple; that's where all the songs were coming from. "Is this where you live?" he asked the Sirenmon.

"Yes. This is where my clan resides. Our conductor and leader lives on the top tower." The Sirenmon lead Ariyuki under a large hole at the bottom of the temple and up. They broke the surface of the water inside, and Ariyuki could breath regular air again; he was grateful for that; the oxygen underwater felt strange in his lungs.

Ariyuki climbed out of the water and made to give his Sirenmon guide a hand, but then drew back, wondering how Sirenmon could stand when they had fins. He even asked that question and the Sirenmon giggled, tingling in Ariyuki's ears. She pulled herself out of the water and waited. Once the scales on her fins were dry, a bright blue light flashed for only a second before Ariyuki found the Sirenmon standing before him. Her legs were long which made her about the same height as Kii, and a strange fabric around her waist served as a skirt; she looked like an Elvin Princess if nothing else.

"Come," she beckoned, "This way." she took Ariyuki's hand and lead him to the right and up a very long flight of blue pearl steps. The walls in the stairway were beautifully decorated with pink and blue silk screen curtains with giant shells holding them up. The railing on the left and right side of the stairs were made of a silver pearl substance; smooth to the touch and stunning to the eye. Through the small holes in the blue and silver pearl walls trickled water that flowed down the steps, all the way into the sea where Ariyuki and the Sirenmon had just came out of.

"This place is so beautiful," Ariyuki whispered.

"Yes, this truly is a wonderful place to live. We sing whenever we feel like it, we can swim and play and walk and we are master architects." the Sirenmon informed him.

At the top of the steps, the Sirenmon and Ariyuki were now facing a pink shell door. Sirenmon opened it and stepped in, holding the door ajar for Ariyuki to squeeze through. Inside was a beautifully decorated room mainly of the colors pink and blue. There, laying on a very soft-looking bed was another Sirenmon.

She looked slightly older than the other Sirenmon, but had lost none of her beauty. Her breathing was unsteady, however, and her sapphire skin was pale to a point where it was the same color of Ariyuki's hair. The choir leader stepped forth and made a strange ringing sound with her voice, catching the elder's attention; it must be a way to say hello in the Sirenmon way. The elder Sirenmon's eyes widened at the sight of Ariyuki.

"Gracious," her beautiful voice croaked, "Is it...Can it be a-"

"No, Your Majesty. He is not a Mystic," the other one said gently, "He is here to heal you, though. He has power, he says."

Calming down, the Conductor breathed, "You feel strange, child."

"Yeah," said Ariyuki, "That would be my magic. See, I'm kinda like a mage in training-"

"No, not your magic, your force. You feel..._unusual_."

"Well, I'm not really from this world or the real world," Ariyuki said quickly, "I don't know where I'm really from, but nonetheless, I'm here to help you."

"I've seen many Digidestined that were gifted with magic in my time, child, but _never _have I felt anything like you." The Sirenmon was soon gasping for breath and Ariyuki hurried to her side. He held her soft hand in his and concentrated, feeling deep within himself for his magic, his gift. In no time at all he found it and bright blue light surrounded Ariyuki and the elder Sirenmon. The young Sirenmon stared in awe at the mystical power filling the room. Ariyuki could feel the sickness inside the Sirenmon; dark, ugly, and attempting to take her life by draining it completely.

Ariyuki shot the darkness with his magic and it slowly withered away. The Sirenmon's breathing was steady once more and she started to smile. Ariyuki let go of her hand and the light disappeared. She sat up and grinned at the exhausted youngling. "What a remarkable child you are," she whispered.

"Now you should be able to conduct your singing choir," Ariyuki panted slightly.

"No, young one, I'm still too weak. This old bag of bones can hardly sit up. We'll need a replacement conductor. And do you know who I choose?" Ariyuki shook his head while the elder Sirenmon reached over and opened her nightstand drawer. She withdrew a conductor stick and handed it to Ariyuki, "I choose you, boy."

"Me?" breathed Ariyuki, speechless, "I've never lead a choir before. I can't-"

"I feel you will do fine, child," the elder reassured him, patting him on his head. "If this old thing your looking at could do it when she was five, I know you can."

Ariyuki gulped and nodded. "Okay. I'll try my best." The younger Sirenmon bowed Ariyuki out of the room, then shut the door and followed him out.

"What'd you thinks takin' 'em?" Midori asked on the surface.

"Dunno," replied Ken, drawing little pictures in the sand. Just then two figures popped out of the water; Ariyuki and Sirenmon.

All of the other Sirenmon looked apprehensive. "Has she been cured?" one of them asked. When the choir leader nodded the Sirenmon exploded with cheers. Ariyuki hopped out of the water and wringed his hair and white jacket dry.

"Everyone," announced the choir leader, "Since the Elder is still weak, we will have our rehearsal with a replacement conductor." she indicated Ariyuki. There were some titters among the Sirenmon.

Ariyuki scowled for only a second before tapping the stick on a tall rock. "Ready?" he asked. More laughter erupted from the Sirenmon.

Just as Ariyuki started to feel discouraged, the choir leader got out of the water and proceeded to show Ariyuki how to work as the conductor. "You must demand respect from them," she added after demonstrating how to do tempos and beats.

"Kay," he said to her as she dived back in the water. "Okay, everyone. Hello? Are you listening? _Hey_!" he finally bellowed, hushing every Sirenmon. "Alright now. One, two, one, two, three." Ken and Midori were amazed and proud of Ariyuki for his sense of leadership. Though Ariyuki didn't know what song they were singing, it sure was lovely. The choir leader did her best performance yet, mainly in favor of little Ariyuki.

When the somber melody was finished, Ken clapped his hands together with enthusiasm and Midori whistled to her best ability, and Wormmon, unable to think of anything, mimicked Midori. Ariyuki and the whole Sirenmon group bowed gracefully. Then the choir leader dived back underwater. Just as Ariyuki began to wonder where she went, she came back to the surface with a pendant around her neck.

When she got out of the water, she let her fins dry so she could stand up. She sauntered gracefully to Ariyuki and took the blue pendant off of her neck. "This is for you, little Ariyuki. You have saved our leader and helped our chorus. This is a wondrous item our leader found when she was young. She could never figure out what it was, but seemed to glow a dark purple whenever danger was near. We call this item The Pendant of Life. Take care of it, won't you?"

She placed it around Ariyuki's neck and Ariyuki nodded. He held the humming blue stone in his little hands. "Thanks, Sirenmon."

"No, no. Thank _you_, little one. When you wear this pendant, Digimon both in the sea and on the land will know that you are part of the Sirenmon Eastern Clan." all the Sirenmon nodded and dived back underwater. Before the choir leader disappeared into the lake, she bent down and kissed Ariyuki on the forehead, causing him to blush like he did with Kii. "Fair travels, Ariyuki and friends." She waved good-bye then dived into the water, and was gone.

"C'mon," said Ken, "Let's find Kari and Ariyami."

"Yeah!" both Ariyuki and Midori shouted, running after Ken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm tellin' ya, this is a bad idea, guys."

"Don't be such a baby, Kari! It's simple; we go in, find some water, splash Ariyami's eyes with it, maybe look for a pry bar while we're at it, and leave. He'll _never_ know we were there."

Kari and Neomon were arguing while Birdramon flew them up as silently as she could toward the Digimon Sovereign's fortress. Birdramon had agreed to help them after they saved her from a whole horde of Dark Tyrannomon after she crashed. Ariyami held tightly onto Birdramon's feathers in fear that he might fall off of her. Being blind was very tough; now he knew how Merikah felt. Birdramon scanned the fortress for a place to fly into.

"I found something!" she finally cried. So she had; an opening at the side of the fortress just big enough for her to squeeze into. Once she flew in, Neomon jumped off and Kari struggled to help Ariyami down. "Here's where I'll wait until you get back."

"Thanks, Birdramon," said Kari, stroking her side. "We'll be back soon, old girl." Birdramon nodded and Kari and the others ran through the dark cave-like entrance.

"So, what's the plan, guys?" Ariyami asked, feeling for Kari's hand.

"Ouch! That's my tail, Ariyami!"

"Sorry."

"Well," Kari began, "I've never really explored the Digimon Emperor's base, and I'm sure this base is different from the original. I just don't know where to look. Here," Kari grabbed Ariyami's hand, "Better?"

"Much better. Thanks."

Then they came across a metal door (which Ariyami slammed right into) that required a height test to open. Kari told both Ariyami and Neomon to stand back while this happens. A purple light appeared and scanned Kari from head to foot; the door then opened.

"How did you do that?" Neomon wanted to know.

"Me and the Sovereign are about the same height." Kari informed. They stepped into a narrow metal hallway. Trekking a few feet forward, they came upon a fork in the path. They all chose right. After ten more feet, another fork appeared.

"How the hell does the Digimon Sovereign get around?" Neomon questioned.

"Good question," Kari replied. "I'm getting exhausted." Then, they came upon another door that simply slid open. The room they entered was stunning; trees were dotted here and there, trunk-deep in what looked like ponds. The room resembled a forest; grass was covering the floor and vines hung from a few trees. "Why," Kari asked, "Would the Digimon Sovereign have a room full of trees?"

Neomon approached a pond and looked inside. "Beats me, but I'm thirsty." he lapped up some of the water then snapped his head back up. "Kari, you should try this water! It's delicious!" then he dunked his head back in.

"You and your stomach," Kari complained, but did what Neomon suggested. It _was _delicious! Still, why would the Sovereign have a room like this? Then she remembered, "Ariyami, come over here and dunk your head in!"

"Alright, but I was _just _getting the hang of this." Ariyami stumbled to where he heard Kari's voice, but tripped over a small rock and fell right into the pond. "C-c-cold!" he howled, shivering. Before he knew anything else, Kari placed both of her hands on his head and dunked him underneath. In panic and alarm, he thrashed about wildly. After ten seconds, Kari allowed Ariyami to resurface. 

Ariyami's eyes felt funny, like they were tingling. Then, he saw shadows, then shapes, then everything started to get clear. He blinked and everything was back to normal. "Ariyami?" Kari asked, uncertainly, "Can you see?"

"Yeah," he looked at his hands, then to Kari and Neomon. Then, fully realizing that his sight was back, he leapt up and cheered. "This is so great! Thanks a lot, Kari!" he picked her up and hugged her tightly. 

"Let's not get too excited," Kari squeaked while feeling her ribs being crushed. He released her and she walked about dazedly for a few minutes.

"I'm so glad you can see again, Ariyami," Neomon told him happily.

"Really? Well, it's become all too much of a burden for me." hissed a voice behind them. They spun around and found themselves confronting the Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, and Shiromon. "Now, I knew the Digidestined were stupid, but I _never _would have guessed that they would try to pull off a stunt like this! Entering the fortress of their arch nemesis! Don't you find this funny?" The Sovereign asked the Baron.

"All _too_ funny," he sneered.

"You don't scare me!" Neomon snarled.

"_Ooh_!" stated the Sovereign, "I think this little guy means business. Alright then, let's try Digimon against Digimon. Shiromon, attack!" the white, cat-like Digimon charged at Neomon. He in turn charged her. Neomon saw, just in time, Shiromon conduct electricity around her body.

"White Thunderbolt!" she snarled. Neomon rolled out of the way just in time as a streak of lightning crashed on ground where his body was.

The Digimon Sovereign laughed and drew his silver digivice. "Shiromon, digivolve!"

"Shiromon, digivolve to...Kuromon!" The black, knight-like Digimon drew out her sword and began to chase Neomon around, slicing at moments and barely missing Neomon's torso. "Come back here, kitty, kitty. I wanna have some fun!"

Neomon, tired of running away, swerved back and slashed at Kuromon's face. Blood trickled down her cheek where the cut marks were. "Take that!" Neomon shouted with pride.

"Now you die, you little runt!" Kuromon swiped her sword down upon Neomon, and would have decapitated him if Ariyami hadn't jumped into the fray. He jumped on Kuromon and held on tight. She thrashed about wildly, trying to dislodge Ariyami from her back. "Get off me, you parasite!"

"Neomon!" Ariyami shouted. "Attack Kuromon! Do it! Do it now!" Kuromon was now resorting to flying around and bashing Ariyami against walls in attempt to throw him off.

"Ariyami, get down from there!" Kari demanded. "You'll get yourself hurt!"

"Dark Lightning Attack!" Neomon send charges of lightning toward Kuromon, but the Digimon Sovereign leapt up and used his sword to deflect the bolt back at Neomon, electricuting him horribly.

"Neomon!" Ariyami cried, taking his concetration off Kuromon for only a second and was hurled right off her back. He landed on his back on the floor and was moaning in pain.

"Ariyami!" Kari shouted. She made to run toward him, but the Digimon Baron grabbed her arm.

"What's your rush?" he asked. "Sit back and watch the show, cutie."

"Let go of me!" Kari yelled. "Ariyami's hurt!"

"I can see that," he teased.

Ariyami mustered all of his strength to sit up. Then Kuromon grabbed his arms to hold him still. "Well, Ariyami," drawled the Sovereign, "It's time to show you what happens when you mess with the ruler of the Digital World." he picked up the wounded Neomon.

"No! Leave him alone!" Ariyami bellowed, struggling against Kuromon's firm grip.

"Why should I? When I destroy this thing, I destroy the only threat you three pose to me!" the Digimon Sovereign laughed. He then threw Neomon against a wall. Ariyami grew angrier with every scream of pain Neomon emitted. His fists clenched and his sense of reason was gone.

"_Stop it_!" he finally roared, tears flowing down his face. It happened in a flash of white light. His Glacier Stone broke off his chain necklace. He stared in bedazzled wonder as it expanded and took shape. Then, the light vanished and a white object fell into his hands; another white Digivice. 

Hardly able to believe that _he _was a chosen Digidestined, he aimed his digivice at Neomon. "Neomon, Crystal Digivolve!"

A bright white radiance shot toward Neomon and his bruises and bloody spots disappeared. He was engulfed in white and he shouted, "Neomon, Crystal Digivolve to..." his figure expanded and grew. The light turned purple, then black. The shape he was taking appeared to be human-like. Black cords wrapped around his arms and burst into gloves; the same thing happened with his boots.

A coat of darkness formed around his body and a cloak burst into life. When the light disappeared, a very tall man stood before them all; he wore a black cloak, black gloves, and black garments. His hood was off, revealing black disheveled hair and blue eyes. His ears were pointed and his skin was pale. He looked something like Kuromon; "Hello. I am Shadowmon."

"Whoa," Ariyami murmured. "You okay, Neomon?" he finally asked.

"Yes, Ariyami. Worry not; I will get us out of here." Shadowmon had a kind, echoing voice.

"Not before battling me, you won't!" Kuromon interrupted.

"Kuromon, battling you would be the last thing I'd want to do. It would be a pity to hurt a lady." Shadowmon said, almost taunted.

"_What_?! I'll show you, you color challenged freak!" Kuromon powered up her dark energy and charged for Shadowmon. He leapt out of the way but she doubled back and nearly decapitated him. He grabbed her sword instead and pulled her forward; their faces were now barely an inch apart.

In the next instant, color tinged their pale cheeks and they released each other, facing back to back, their faced burning red.

"What are you doing, Kuromon? This is no time to get girlie and blushy!" the Digimon Sovereign shouted.

"I don't wish to fight anymore, Ariyami," Shadowmon said. "Let's just get out of here." he turned to Kuromon. "We will battle again, you and I. Don't worry." and with that, he used his attack called "Sword of Faith!" and blew a hole in the Sovereign's roof. Kari and Ariyami (feeling degrated about having to ride something again) jumped into his arms and he leapt into the air and flew off.

"_Great_," muttered the Sovereign, "Just _great_. _Now _I've got a busted roof. What _else _can I expect those Digidestined to do?"

"Die," replied the Digimon Baron.

The Sovereign grinned. "Yeah, well, my power is growing greater. Within, I'd give about two days until my power is fully restored. Then I just need to activate the talisman and all the dark powers in the universe will belong to me," the Sovereign clenched his fists. "That's _all _I've wanted for centuries. To get revenge on these damn Digimon!"

"Yes, master. I recall that day. I was imprisoned too..."

That day we were on trial in front of Azulongmon and every race of Digimon. 

"Sovereign and Baron. You two have been convicted of attempt to destroy the Digital World by means of the Dark Ocean and murder to do so. We all find you both guilty! As punishment, you will be imprisoned for eternity! Bring the Crystals of Living Death forward!" 

I remember the look on your face when you saw what they had in store for us. "Now wait just a minute! What did we do to deserve this?" you cried, "We didn't do anything wrong! We didn't do anything!"

"Silence!" Azulongmon bellowed, "You'll get no pity from me! You tried to destroy us all!"

"No! It wasn't us!"

"Sovereign," I whispered, "Don't infuriate him more."

"But it wasn't us!" you continued to shout. But it was no use; cords shot out of the first crystal and grabbed me first. You tried to hang on and pull me back but you weren't strong enough; they had drained you of your powers before the trial. Then, the second crystal ensnared you. You were dragged inside it...

"I don't know what happened to you, but after the crystals shut us in, water began to fill inside my crystal. Soon I was forced to hold my breath, but my air ran out and I fell into dark weariness." The Digimon Baron finished the story.

"_You _may have drifted into sleep, but my nightmares haunted me for all those centuries." The Digimon Sovereign hung his head. "I think I'll take a nap now. Come on, Shiromon."

Meanwhile, back in the safety of the forest, Kari, Ariyami, and Shadowmon were resting by a lake. While Kari drank some water and sighed, Ariyami was bashing his dark ring on a rock, trying his hardest to break it off. "Ariyami," said Kari, walking over and taking the rock away, "_This _isn't how you get it off, okay?"

"But it's really starting to bug me! I can see now, but I can't _stand _being without my powers!" Ariyami whined.

"Maybe I could break it off?" suggested Shadowmon. "I'm an excellent aim, you know. I could hack it right off for you."

Ariyami stared with uncertainty. "Well, alright. Just please try not to hack my hand off."

"You got it!" Shadowmon raised his black blade high and made to sing down, but a rustling in the bushes next to them made them all jump with alarm.

"Who's there?" Ariyami shouted. The bush shook more violently, then, Ariyuki stumbled out of it. "Ariyuki! What are you doing here?"

"We came looking for you," he replied, "Everything okay?" Just then Ken and Midori made their appearance as well.

"Well, I guess it is now, now that we're all together." said Kari happily, "Is Gatomon here too?"

"Sorry. Just me and Ariyuki," Ken explained.

It was only then did Ariyami realize how late it was. The sky was navy blue, almost black. "We'd better get home," he announced.

"Wait a minute, Ariyami. What about that dark ring?" Shadowmon asked, pointed.

"Oh yeah! Shadowmon, would you do the honors?" Ariyami kneeled and placed his arm on the ground.

"Here goes!" Shadowmon brought his sword swishing down and it made direct contact with the ring. The dark ring shattered. Almost at once Ariyami could feel his strength returning. He gave his powers a practice run by setting fire to a bush and putting it out again.

"Alright! I'm back!" he cheered excitedly, jumping around like an eight year-old.

Back through the portal and in their room, the Ichijouji brothers all flumped onto Ariyuki's bunk. "Home at last!" Ken sighed, "I think I'm gonna fall asleep right here-" Just then, though, the sounds of men's voices coming from the living room and sirens going off outside alerted all three of them.

They jumped up and opened the door, running into the living room. Policemen were everywhere in the room, all talking to a person who was sitting on the couch. As the three boys approached, they found it was their mother, crying into her hands. What scared all three of them the most was that Cal wasn't anywhere to be seen.


	10. Ch10: Enter Death

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Aika Hitzubi, Miriku Hitzubi (more to come in future chapters...that's a mouthful, isn't it?)I don't own the Digidestined or their parents, but you knew that.^_^

Chapter Ten:

Enter Death

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night

The policemen all around were trying to comfort Molly, but she continued to cry using her apron. Ken and his brothers ran to her. "Mama?" he asked, "Is everything alright?"

Molly looked up into her son's eyes. "Ken, uh...your father, he..." then she buried her face in her hands again.

"Where's dad?" Ariyami asked.

"Ariyami, sweetie," Molly began. She pulled Ariyami to her and held him tight, as though knowing that what she had to say would set him off like a time bomb. "Everything's okay. Your father's just..."

"What's happened, Ken?" Ariyuki asked, tugging at Ken's sleeve. 

Ken didn't know what to say. He knew something was wrong, but Molly just couldn't tell them what. Then Ariyami heard it for the first time since he arrived; an ambulance going off. "_Dad_!" he cried before scrambling to his feet and dashing to the door.

"Ariyami, wait!" Molly cried, but Ariyami was already out the door.

He teleported down the stairs, the cold night air adding to his worst fears, and in front of the complex. There, a large ambulance was flashing and police and doctors were all around it. "No," he whispered. He ran toward the large van, but was then flocked by three policemen.

"What's this kid doin' here?" one of the men asked. 

"This must be one of his sons." said another.

"Well, get 'em back inside before he makes a scene," the first one instructed.

"C'mon, kid. Everything's gonna be alright." said the man soothingly to Ariyami.

"Tell me that's not Cal," Ariyami commanded.

"What?"

"_Tell me Cal Ichijouji isn't in that van_!" he bellowed.

"Calm down, kid! There was a carjacker! He was shot!"

"_What_?!" Ariyami broke free of the policeman's grip and dashed into the ambulance, knocking over two doctors and a policeman in the process. He looked in and found his father lying on a stretcher. "Dad," Ariyami ran forth and grabbed his hand. "What happened?"

Cal could barely see; he was exhausted and his breathing was uneven. Ariyami noticed, with the jump of his heart that blood was issuing from his cotton vest, somewhere around his heart. "It...it happened so fast. Si-since last night, when I headed...back to...work, I was too...late to hand the evidence in. I tried earlier today...and before I got there...a man came to the...the car with a gun. The next...thing I knew, I was lying on the...ground, and he...he took to evidence and the car..." 

Ariyami stared at his dying father. This couldn't be happening, not to Cal! Then Ariyami, felt a strong pair of hands grab the back of his shirt. "What're you doing in here, kid? This man needs to be taken to the hospital!" a policeman threw Ariyami out of the ambulance and, just before the doors closed, Ariyami could hear his father saying something.

"I'm sorry, Ariyami! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Tears filled Ariyami's eyes; this situation was hopeless. Ariyuki didn't have the experience to heal Cal, and those doctors weren't going to do any better. Then, it hit him; the carjacker. _He _was responsible; _he _shot Cal; Anger and utter hatred filled his body, his heart, his very soul. He wanted to hurt the carjacker, to kill him; make him pay!

Then he heard Ken and Ariyuki on the floors above him, "Ariyami, come back up! There's nothing more we can do!"

"Maybe there's nothing more _you _can do, Ken, but there's something _I_ can do. It's called revenge!"

"Ariyami, what're you saying?" Ken asked. Then, Ariyami flew off into the air. "Come back, Ariyami!"

"Where's Ariyami going?" Ariyuki asked. 

"To get himself into trouble."

Ariyami soared high in the air in search of Cal's car. It was blue and small and shouldn't be too hard to find. Sometimes, however, he would fly down to the street to check some of the cars, scaring a few people out of their skins. Then Ariyami saw it; the dark blue automobile, swerving here and there, apparently nervous; yes, that was his car.

He bolted his speed to catch up to the car; there was a man inside and a folder on the passenger seat. That must be the evidence. Then the man looked out the window and screamed at the sight of Ariyami. "What the _hell _are you?!" he shrieked.

"Just your Angel of Death!" Ariyami smirked cruelly.

The man was in a definite panic. "_Nooooo_!" he howled and made a very sharp turn to the left, heading out of Tokyo; Ariyami still followed. He wasn't going to let him out of his sights for anything. Then, taking Ariyami by surprise, the man made another sharp turn off the pavement and on to a gravel path. Ariyami conjured up a ball of purple light and hurled it at the car, knocking out the rearview mirror and causing the carjacker to spin out and crash into a tree.

He stumbled out of the broken door and made to run into the forest, but was cut off by Ariyami. "You won't take me, demon! I'll kill you first!" he screeched, pulling out a handgun and aiming it at Ariyami.

Ariyami laughed. "Go right ahead. Waste your bullets and my time." the man let loose and shot at Ariyami with every bullet he had, but, to his terror, didn't even scratch Ariyami. Looking down, he saw his bullets on the ground in front of this strange boy. "Are these yours?" he asked, smirking with delight.

"_You're from Hell_!" the carjacker cried and took off down the gravel road.

"No, I'm not, but that's where you'll be wishing you were when I'm through with you!" Ariyami picked up one of the little bullets and held it between his thumb and index finger, looking at it curiously. Then he looked at the panicking man running in the opposite direction. He grinned and hurled the handgun bullet at lightning speed toward the man, striking his leg and sending him to the ground, screaming with agony.

"Oh," cooed Ariyami, "Did that hurt?" he hovered over the cowering man. "Well that's only a demonstration of what I have in store for you." he picked the man up and bashed him extremely hard against a tree, his face inches from the carjacker's. "Did you ever stop to think that _this _is what would happen to you when you shot my dad?! Huh? _Answer me_!" Crying like an infant, the man shook his head. "No! And ya wanna know why? Because you're a hopeless, careless, murderous-" every time he called him a name, he'd bash him even harder against the tree "-Worthless, evil-"

"Ariyami?" called a gentle voice behind him. Still clutching the carjacker, Ariyami spun around and saw a familiar red head figure; it was Lilith. She had a confused expression on her face as her eyes roved from Ariyami, to the carjacker, to the crashed car.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

"We heard gunshots from the house." She pointed further down the road. Sure enough, when Ariyami looked, he saw a two story house in the distance with all the lights on. Next to Lilith was a parked tan-colored van. The doors on both the driver and passenger side opened and out stepped two men. One, Ariyami identified as William, but the other was a blond man he hadn't seen before.

When the blond man saw the carjacker in Ariyami's hands, he gasped. "Miriku Hitzubi! I figured you'd be in prison by now!"

Lilith sauntered over to the blue car, reached in, and extracted a folder. She skimmed through it. "I'm sure he would be if this evidence here was turned in." she explained.

"Hang on," said Ariyami, "I'm confused. What's going on?"

"Miriku is a murderer," explained the young man.

"Yeah, Lyle caught him in the act just three days ago. We figured the evidence would have been turned in by now. I guess _he _had other plans." said Lilith.

"Yeah," growled Ariyami, "And now I've got a plan! I'm gonna kill him right here and now!"

"Ariyami, wait," said Lilith sternly.

"He deserves to die!"

"I'm sure that's true, but it's not for you to decide. It's for the police. What you want isn't the law. You'll only be guilty of murder too." Lilith placed a gentle hand on Ariyami's shoulder while Lyle brought out a pair of handcuffs. "You didn't chase him down just because he hijacked a car, did you? What happened, Ariyami?"

"That _monster _shot my dad! He's in the hospital, dying right now!" Ariyami was in a rage, shaking the carjacker viciously, tears streaming down his face. Then he fell to his knees, too dizzy to rampage anymore. Lilith kneeled down and comforted Ariyami, embracing him and calming him.

Then she walked to the van and took a blue bag from the back seats. "Lyle, you take the man to the police station and give them the evidence. Ariyami, take me to the hospital."

Lyle shrugged at Will and obeyed, cuffing the carjacker's wrists tightly and throwing him in the back seat. "Why do want to-" Ariyami began.

"Ariyuki isn't the only person with healing abilities, remember?" I think if we work fast, I might be able to save him. Ariyami nodded and obeyed. He held Lilith in his arms and slowly lifted himself off the ground (he wasn't familiar with flying with a burden). Once in the air, he soared at top speed toward the hospital, praying they weren't too late already.

"Why do ya need the bag?" Ariyami asked, staring at it.

"There are some herbs in here that should help speed the healing process," she shouted back through the wind. Soon the Yukenji Hospital was in sight and Ariyami slowly dropped to the front doors. Clutching her herb bag, Lilith, with Ariyami behind, darted to the front desk. "Please, ma'am," she said breathlessly, "We're looking for Cal Ichijouji. Is he here?"

They both watched patiently as the blond young woman swiftly scanned through the files. "Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, withdrawing a card. "Cal Ichijouji. He's on the fourth floor, dearie."

"Thank you." they both said quickly as they ran for the elevator. Riding to the fourth floor, Lilith watched as Ariyami held his hands together in worry. "Don't worry, Ariyami. I'm sure this'll all turn out alright." she said soothingly.

"I feel like it's my fault," he told her. When he saw Lilith's confused expression, he added, "The last thing I remember saying to him was 'I hope you disappear off the face of this Earth and never come back.' If only I'd known."

Lilith gripped his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Your dad was a victim of a crime. This had nothing to do with you, kay?" At that moment the elevator doors opened and they found themselves on the fourth floor. Overwhelmed by worry again, Ariyami dashed down the halls, Lilith tagging along behind. Then he came to a stop in front of room 405.

It had a clipboard on it with the name Ichijouji, Cal on it. Lilith, finally catching up to Ariyami, took the clipboard down and read it. The file had one word stamped on it that made Lilith and Ariyami's insides turn cold: "FATAL...Estimated time left, four hours". In panic, Ariyami yanked the door open and ran inside. He and Lilith found Cal alone in the room, life support running slow and his IV removed.

Horrified, Ariyami made to run to him, but Lilith grabbed his shirt, gave him a stern look, and nodded toward the door, indicating him to stand watch while she worked. She stood over his stretcher and his eyes slowly opened. "It's alright, sir. I'm here to help you." whispered Lilith, opening her bag. She withdrew a bunch of what looked like fuzzy white flowers.

When she started tying them together, Ariyami asked, "What're you doing? What are those?"

"Shh. I'm making a crown of Princess Feather," she replied, not taking her eyes off the flowers.

"Princess Feather?"

"Amaranth," she placed the crown on Cal's head and took his hand. "A crown of amaranth worn on the head helps speed the healing process. Now please be quite; I really need to concentrate..." She closed her eyes and searched inside herself for her blue healing light. Hardly a second passed before she found her power and brought it out. She lifted her head up and she and Cal, instead of outlined, were engulfed in the bright blue radiance. 

Ariyami realized that she was using the full force of her power to heal Cal. He watched as Cal's eyes shot open with shock at all of his pains going away at once. He felt his wound closing and sighed with the soothing and relieving feeling overcoming him. Then he heard Lilith panting with the effort of keeping the spell in play. Thinking quickly, he jerked his hand away and the chain broke, causing the light to vanish.

Lilith stood up and swayed. The next thing she felt was hot dizziness and her body falling backward. Ariyami quickly stooped down and caught her, easing her to the ground. "Lilith! Hey, kido. Hang in there!" she heard Ariyami's voice call. His worried image slid in and out of focus, though, and it was becoming harder to hear him.

Then she submitted to weariness and Ariyami felt her body go limp. She had fainted. Ariyami gently placed her in a chair next to Cal's stretcher and covered her with a blanket. Then he turned to his dad, who was sitting up and grinning. "Dad! Are you alright?"

"I'm alright and better, son," he turned to the unconscious Lilith. "That's quite a special friend you've got there, Ariyami." he smirked. "Don't lose sight of that one."

Ariyami felt shocked, but overlooked it. "She's more _Ken's _friend than mine, dad," he said with folded arms.

"_Oh_! I see. So, who do you have a crush on?"

"Dad," interrupted Ariyami, "You've _just _escaped death's grip. _Can _we talk about something else?"

"Right, right," Cal began, laying back down. At that moment, however, three doctors came bursting into the room, their eyes mad, searching for the invader. 

"You're that brat that wouldn't leave us alone back at your house! Leave at once! This man is-" but he stopped at the sight of Cal waving cheerfully at him.

"I don't suppose you'd kick my _son _out, now would you?" Cal asked politely, a warning fire in his eyes.

"You-you're-but you're suppose to be-"the surgeon stuttered, then took a final glance at Ariyami and left, slamming the door behind him. Ariyami pulled down both of his lower eyelids and stuck out his tongue.

While Cal laughed, Ariyami took him by surprise and hugged him tightly. "Whoa! Hang on, Ariyami! Just because I'm gonna live doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt."

"I know. It's just...I'm sorry, Dad, for everything I said." Ariyami was choking back his tears, "I didn't mean any of it."

"No, it's me who should be sorry. You _are _a big boy and can take better care of yourself than I can. I guess I was in fear of losing another boy." Cal smiled at Ariyami, who looked confused.

"What's this other boy I keep hearing about?" Ariyami finally asked.

Cal suddenly looked solemn. "We used to have two sons. One, of course, is Ken, but there was an older one. His name was Osamu, but we called him Sam. One day, he...was in an accident; a car accident. Ken took it pretty hard."

"Is he the boy with frizzy blue hair that Ken keeps a picture of on the desk?" Ariyami asked.

Cal nodded. "Ken would _never _lose that picture. He misses Sam a lot. In a small sense, you remind me of him, Ariyami. Sure, he was smart, a genius like Ken to be exact, but he would_ never _listen to rules. He had a rebellious heart and a short temper to his enemies, just like you."

"I've got a short temper to everybody," retorted Ariyami in mock pout.

"I know, but that's why you're Ken's counterpart. Ken used to be short tempered to everyone too." Cal stretched and yawned. "Ya know, I reckon it's time for bed. Why don't you take Lilith with you. She can rest at our house for the night."

"Sure," Ariyami gave his father one last hug before picking Lilith up from the chair. She moaned and mumbled in her sleep, making Ariyami and Cal smile. "Bye, Dad!" and with that, Ariyami opened the window and flew out of it. Lilith shivered in the cold night air and awoke slowly.

"Ariyami? Where are we?"

"We're just heading home. You should go back to sleep, Lilith." Lilith mumbled again and snuggled into Ariyami's chest for warmth, making him blush. To his relief, Ariyami spotted his apartment's balcony and gently pulled in for a landing. He slid open the door and Molly, Ken, and Ariyuki all ran over to them. Molly had a tear-stained face and Ken and Ariyuki had worry and exasperation on their faces.

"Where have you been, Ariyami? I've been so worried!" Molly stopped, however, when Ariyami put his finger to his lips.

"She's asleep." he told them.

"Why is Lilith with you anyway, Ariyami?" Ken asked.

"Let's make a bed for her on the couch and I'll tell you everything." 

With Lilith snoozing on the sofa, Ariyami quietly explained how he'd chased the carjacker down, how he ran into Lilith and her brother, and how she healed Cal to almost perfect health. Molly burst into tears again and held her son. "Oh, Ariyami! I don't know what to say! I thought Cal had died!"

"Don't tell that to me," replied Ariyami, "Tell that to Lilith."

"So that's why she's so wiped out," mused Ken, "She used up all of her energy to heal Dad."

"We should all visit Daddy tomorrow, right guys?" suggested Ariyuki.

"That's a wonderful idea!" exclaimed Ken.

"I'm all for it!" said Ariyami.

"Yes. And we'll all bring him presents," Molly added, wiping her tears away. "However," she picked up Ariyuki, "I think it's bed time now. There's been enough excitement for one day."

Glancing at the kitty cat clock hanging from the kitchen wall, Ken suddenly felt exhausted; it was 2:30 A.M. He rubbed his eyes, then ambled into his room along with his brothers. Ariyuki pulled on white pajamas with different colored cats jumping, sleeping, or playing with a ball of yarn on them while Ariyami buttoned up a blue pair of pajamas with nothing but bubble designs all over. Ken wore a pair of light blue pajamas with snowflakes embedded in them. Remembering Lilith, a thought crossed Ken's mind; "Uh, Ariyami, where are you gonna sleep?"

"Aw, I wouldn't worry about that. I can sleep in the air, Kenny Boy." Ariyami replied, disappearing.

Ken shrugged then entered the living room where Molly was tending to Lilith. "Oh, dear. Ken, honey, would you hand me the ice pack, please? This little dear has a fever." Ken obeyed and opened the freezer where their trusty ice pack laid, waiting to tend to the need of another poor soul.

"Here it is, Mom," Ken handed the cold compress and a little bit of string to Molly and she tied the ice pack to Lilith's head.

"The poor, sweet dear. She used all of her strength to help us. Bless her little heart." Molly beamed at Lilith, then bustled into her room to change for bed.

Ken was left alone with Lilith. He sat next to her and made sure her blankets were securely over her. After he finished making preparations, he smiled at her. Though she was asleep she still looked something like an angel. He couldn't help but remember first meeting her; that shy but brilliant girl who sat next to him in class; now she was one of his best friends and possibly more.

Then Ariyuki called from the bedroom, requesting that Ken tell him a bedtime story. He laughed and shook his head, strolling into the bedroom. After telling Ariyuki the chilling tale of how he and the others defeated Malo Myotismon, he climbed the ladder to his top bunk and almost instantly fell asleep.

_"I'm telling you, she's starting to figure it out!"_

"Master, there's no way. She's not nearly smart enough-"

"Baron! I know what I'm talking about! She's becoming more conscious of me, and if she realizes who I am, my mission on revenge could be jeopardized! She might even tell the others!"

"Yes, I could just imagine _how well they'd like to be her friend then." _

"Oh, well. It doesn't matter. Soon that magic talisman will be in my possession and, even if she does _figure it out, it'll be too late. I'll have destroyed the Digital World and my revenge will be complete. That's all that matters to me now, even more than my very soul. Let us go, Baron."_

Lilith awoke the very next morning, remembering her dream. She even began repeating the conversation; it was like she was actually there listening to the Digimon Sovereign and Baron. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Ken with two glasses of orange juice; he handed one to her and sat down next to her. "Sleep well?" he asked.

"I guess," she muttered strangely, making Ken glance at her with doubt. She sighed then faced Ken. "I think the Digimon Sovereign is getting stronger, Ken. I heard him and the Baron in my dreams. He was talking about some magic talisman that would give him power." she searched Ken's face for some form worry or doubt in her, but there was none. Instead, he began to ponder.

"If what you're saying is true, then that means we need to find the Digimon Sovereign and _fast_. If he finds this talisman, he could be unstoppable." Ken started to pace back and forth, thinking.

Lilith just watched him, fear coursing through her with the memory of something else from her dream. She was afraid to tell him, but had no choice, "Ken," she began, "I think this also has something to do with..._me_." 

Ken stopped and stared at her. "Why you?"

"I don't know." Lilith sighed and stood up. "I just remember the Sovereign talking about someone, a girl realizing who the Sovereign was. I don't know; it could be someone else. It's just..._I _had the dream..."

"Well, I don't see any reason to worry about _that _right now. I think we need to call the others." Ken walked to the kitchen wall and picked up the phone, dialing Davis's number, feeling shocked at himself for doing so. After the tiring conversation with Davis, Ken put the phone back and walked back to the sofa. "Davis says he and the others will be at the park waiting for us at about 6:30," glancing down at himself and blushing, he added, "I'd better get dressed."

Lilith giggled while Ken stumbled into his room. While waiting, Lilith slid open the balcony door and stepped outside; the weather was beautiful and the sky was lovely. The clouds in the sky were light and see-through; a light breeze filled the air, carrying the scent of cooking noodles from a restaurant downstairs; the slight sound of speeding cars and chattering people filled her ears; she sighed in contentment. Five minutes later, Ken emerged from his room, dressed in his blue jeans, white shirt and blue jacket. Spying Lilith on the balcony, he smiled and approached her.

"Anything new going on down there?" he asked, making her jump slightly.

"I wouldn't know," she said. At that moment, Ariyuki made his appearance behind Ken, dressed, and looking like he was ready to play.

"Are we ready to go outside yet, Ken?" he asked energetically, swinging Ken's hand around.

Ken grinned. "Sure. Let's wake Ariyami too."

"That won't be necessary," hummed a voice everyone recognized as Ariyami's. they stared around and finally Ariyuki found him floating about ten feet in the air above them. 

"So, what's the news from the sky, captain?" Ken asked.

"Nuthin' much. Clear skies until three, then a downpour of rain," Ariyami announced cheerfully, landing on the balcony.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Ken asked suspiciously.

"_I _just got dad a get well present!" Ariyami pulled out a bag from his pocket and extracted a box of chocolates.

Ken and Ariyuki's faces brightened. If they knew their father, he _loved _chocolate. "I think we should all buy Cal a present," Lilith suggested.

"Yeah! Can I buy him a toy?" Ariyuki asked.

"I think you'll be playing with it more than dad, Ariyuki," said Ken, patting his head.

"We'll just see what's at the store," said Ariyami, walking through the balcony door.

Getting their shoes on, the Ichijouji boys and Lilith stepped outside into the warm weather, which, Ariyami told them, wouldn't last very long. They made their stop at a grocery store first. Ken was shocked but pleased when he saw the same brown-haired store clerk he'd seen on the night when he met Ariyuki. While they chitchatted for a few minutes, Lilith and Ariyuki went to the back of the store where the frozen goods isle was. Lilith knew that flowers were always sold back there.

Lilith picked out a bouquet of princess feather, orchids, little meadowsweets, and bluebells, while Ariyuki chose irises, white soft fox gloves, and daffodils. Their combined scent was beautiful and refreshing. Ken was impressed with their gifts and was pondering what kind of present he should give. Ariyami suggested more candy, but that was already taken and there was no point in sending Cal to the dentist while he was still in the hospital. Finally he decided on buying him a mystery book called "Murderous Love" which, Lilith warned, would probably keep him up late at night.

At the hospital, Cal was pleased to see them all and to have some company. Ariyami presented him the chocolates with enthusiasm and Cal took them with the same kind of joy as Ariyami. Ariyuki presented his gift of flowers next; Cal put his nose to them and sighed at the scent of the beautiful fragrance. Taking Lilith's gift, he stared at the princess feather, then dug around his bed for something. He found what he was looking for and held it up; it was Lilith's crown of amaranth.

"These are the same flowers that were on my head last night. What do they do, Lilith?" Cal asked.

"They help heal. I almost never go anywhere without some. Speaking of heal," Lilith turned to Ken and Ariyuki. "I've got a feeling that ever since you two got your magic powers, you've been neglecting your practicing."

"I'm sorry," admitted Ariyuki truthfully. "I just can't find anything to practice on."

"I haven't been slacking, Lilith. I just don't know how to use my magic," explained Ken.

"Well, why don't you two come with me to my house? I can start teaching each of you the basics. It'll be fun!" Lilith smiled hopefully at both of them. 

How could they refuse? "Sure," said Ken. "I'd love to get a handle on my powers."

"Okay!" Ariyuki danced around the room with excitement.

"Ken," Cal spoke suddenly, "You never told me you had magic. When did _this_ happen?"

"Good question," Ken admitted, shrugging. "I just found out I had powers about a week ago. Lilith just helped bring it out." Cal nodded, though he wasn't sure he fully understood.

"Why don't you three get goin now, then?" Cal suggested, "I mean, there's nothing much for you to do here."

"What about you?" Ken asked. "Won't you be lonely?"

"I'll stay with 'em," explained Ariyami. "I've already got a good grip on my magic."

"Alright. See ya later, guys!" Ken waved good-bye and shut the door behind him, Ariyuki, and Lilith.

"So, what other things can you teach us, Lilith?" Ken asked, turning anxiously toward her.

"It all depends. The things _I _can teach you can only be things that come to you naturally. You'd need a pretty wise mage to teach you other things," Lilith replied, flicking some dust off of her blue skirt. "I think it's obvious that Ariyuki's natural magic is Life and Love Magic. While most have to be taught to use Life Magic, also known as Healing, when it comes to Love Magic, you can use it and not even know it. Love Magic can have an impact on almost anyone. 

"It surrounds your aura with a sense of gentleness and kindness and makes people all around feel good when the person with the magic gift feels good. However, this can also be a bad thing; Love and Life Magic almost always come together in the same magical package, if you get what I mean. There are some evil mages out there who hunt down those who have the gift of healing. The evil mages want the person with the magic so they can take it and use it for themselves so they can be nearly unstoppable. They find the people who have the gift by feeling for their aura."

"That's a lot to swallow," said Ken, looking down at Ariyuki. "But, what do you think _my _magic is?"

"That's a good question." Lilith started to think. "I'll have to conduct some tests when we get to my house."

Ken nodded, but then remembered something about Ariyuki. "Hey, Lilith. I remember Ariyuki also being able to break things with his magic."

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean that one time when we were captured by the Sovereign, his Digimon, Midori was under attack and his anger flew off the charts along with his magical force."

It didn't even take Lilith a minute to respond to that. "That's easy to explain. When a mage loses control of his mind, mainly caused by anger, their primitive power comes forth. It's used for defense to obliterate any form of harm to them or their friends." Lilith went red, "I've, uh...I've used my Primitive Magic once in a while too."

"Yeah, that would explain that incident with Skullmeramon," Ken pointed out.

"Exactly."

Once at Lilith's house, Lilith proceeded to introducing Ariyuki to Lyle. After being held, cuddled, and called "A cute little thing" by Lyle, Ariyuki, being lead by Ken and Lilith, ambled upstairs to Lilith's room. He showed the same kind of reaction as Ken did when he first saw it. After being given a little tour around, Ken and Ariyuki had to sit on the floor while Lilith dug around her hope chest for her rules of incantations.

"I know it's in here somewhere," her voice came from the chest. "Aha! There you are!" she climbed back out and Ken and Ariyuki saw a large book in her hands. "Okay, this old baby should help me identify what kind of magic Ken has. Ariyuki, Lyle's been having some back pains. I want you try and fix it, alright?"

"Sure thing!" Ariyuki saluted and ran out the door, letting Nekomata in. While she settled herself on Lilith's bed to snooze, Lilith began flipping through the pages of her large text.

"Okay, have you ever had a headache or sneeze attack before a storm or rise or fall in temperate occurred?" when Ken shook his head, Lilith continued to flip through. "Alright, so you don't have Weather Predictions," she said absently, "Good thing to. Not a very useful talent. Okay, when you get mad, upset, or delighted have things tended to move around?" Ken once again shook his head and Lilith once again scanned more pages. "Alright, have you been able to strangely find lost or thrown away things that you adored, or have things ever seemed to find their way to you?"

"Nope." said Ken, stroking Nekomata who had come for attention.

"You're a confusing case, Ken!" Lilith's eyes glinted when she flipped to another page somewhere in the middle of the book. "Alright; now we're in the powerful section; This oughta be good. Have you ever been able to bend spoons with your mind or experienced a strange tingling sensation before danger ever finds its way to you? No? Okay; when you're upset or when you cry, does it seem to rain?"

"Never," said Ken, "Or it would have rained last summer time when I was crying and cursing how hot it was."

"Then I don't know what to tell you," Lilith told him, closing her book and throwing it on her bed. "There's just nothing in the book that could tell me what kind of power you have. Oh, well; we'll find out later. Why don't you, me, and Ariyuki all go get an ice cream?"

"That sounds great," said Ken, "My stomach's having a seizure on me." 

Heading downstairs, Ken called for Ariyuki who was finishing up on Lyle's back. Lilith headed for the kitchen to take some money off the counter, but Lyle beat her to it. "Oh, no you don't. I'm comin' with you."

Lilith's face was contorted into a childish sulk, but she ran back into the living room with Ken and Ariyuki. After all four of them got their shoes on and headed outside, Lyle made to go to his car, but Lilith stopped him. "Oh, no. We can walk, Lyle." she told him, making him pout too.

"Sometimes I wish you hadn't gotten Mom's personality," he complained, reluctantly walking down the stone steps and gravel road with the others.

Finally making it into town again, Lilith and Ken strolled in the lead, discussing Ken's possible magic ability while Lyle demonstrated his strength to Ariyuki by holding him up with just his left arm. While Ariyuki laughed with enjoyment, a couple walked by and the wife, watching Lyle and Ariyuki, complained to her husband: "See? That man play with _his _son all the time!" When the couple was out of ear range, all four of them let out their laughter. A few blocks down, once the ice cream parlor came into view, two other familiar figures did too; Ariyami and Kari were sitting at one of the shaded tables, talking about Digimon.

"What are you two doing here?" Ken asked, approaching them.

"Well," Ariyami began, "Kari had found out about Dad on the news and came to the hospital today with some get well roses and a card. After sitting and talking to dad with me, he insisted that me and Kari go get something to eat. We decided to come here."

"Well that's great. We can all eat ice cream together!" announced Ariyuki.

"Alright," said Lyle, "I'll take orders and get the stuff and you three sit down. Lilith, I know what you want; Ariyuki, what settles your fancy? A milkshake, alright. Ken? A cone? That's it? Chocolate. Okay; I'll be back in a minute."

After receiving their ice cream, all six of them decided to go for a walk to Lilith's house to relax. They waited patiently along with a group of other people for the crosswalk light to turn green. When the little green man appeared, they waited for the other people to go first. Ken and Lilith went next; that's when trouble hit.

Right when Ken and Lilith were in the middle of the street, a jeep came careening out of control, driven by an extremely drunk driver and three passengers in the back seats. They were heading right for them. Kari, Ariyami, Ariyuki, and Lyle all shouted for them to run, but even if they did, they wouldn't make it to the others side on time. The jeep was only feet away; Lilith screamed and covered her eyes; Ken shielded himself hopelessly with his arms. This was the moment when all hope seemed lost... 


	11. Ch11: The Sovereign Revealed

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Shiromon, Nekomata, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Sirenmon (more to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents.

Chapter Eleven:

The Sovereign Revealed

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night.

"_Ken! Lilith! Look out!_" everyone cried desperately. Ken and Lilith wanted to run, but they'd never make it to the other side on time; the crazy drunk driver was going way too fast. Lilith screamed and covered her eyes; Ken shielded himself hopelessly with his arms.

_Please stop!_ Ken screamed in his mind, knowing that within seconds he and Lilith would be hit. It was like his life flashed before his eyes; they day when his brother, Osamu died. Time seemed to stop as he helplessly watched his brother get slammed into by a van. Though the police and doctors all said he would make it through the night, deep down, Ken knew that his brother was dead the second he saved him by pushing him out of the way. Then, he remembered losing Wormmon; his best friend who only wanted to help him; he couldn't save him either. 

Now, it looked like it was his turn; he'd soon die and lose Lilith too. If only he could stop this; if only he could _freeze time _just once. All at once, every noise around him ceased. He couldn't hear screaming, or calling, or screeching wheels. Confused, he slowly let his arms down and saw right in front of him that the driver had stopped, but his expression was frozen in place; in fact, it seemed everything was frozen in place, but really wasn't; it was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. 

He gazed around and saw Kari, Ariyuki, Ariyami, and Lyle across the street, their mouths open in screams, but no sound was coming out and they too were frozen. The silence around him was deafening. He turned to his left where Lilith was; she seemed to be the only thing not frozen or still, her face in a shocked expression, staring at Ken. The next thing Ken knew, Lilith grabbed his arm and ran to the other side of the street; she seemed panic-stricken. Lilith tripped when they were almost there, and they both skidded onto the sidewalk.

At that moment, the jeep behind them took off at high speed right where they used to be. People around were moving again, though just about thirty people flocked Ken and Lilith, helping them off the ground and asking them if they were okay. Kari and the others dashed across the street after them. "Oh, my God! Are you two alright?" Kari asked.

Lilith seemed to be the only person not too shook up about this. "Yes. We're okay." She helped Ken to his shaky feet. The crowd soon began to disperse.

"What _was _that?" Ariyami asked. "The first second, you two were in the middle of the street, about to become road kill by that crazy screwball, and the next instant you two were on the other side of the road! What gives?"

"I've just figured out what Ken's magical ability is," Lilith announced, slightly breathless. She turned to him and he gave her an apprehensive look. "You can manipulate time."

"What?" Ken's whole body was shaking with the aftermath of shock and what Lilith just said made his knees give out; Ariyami had to catch him. "I thought my magic ability wasn't in that magic book of yours."

"Well, actually, it is. But it's in the _Rare Magic _section! Only a select few mages posses that kind of power. Even the most gifted mages these days can't manipulate time itself." Lilith seemed just as shocked at Ken was. "I didn't think you'd have it. I figured you might have healing like Ariyuki."

"Forgetting about magic for _one second_," Kari interrupted, "Are you two alright? You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

"Thanks to Ken we're not." Lilith patted Ken's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get home; we're making a scene."

While Ariyami took Kari home, Lilith, Ariyuki, Ken, and Lyle headed for her house. While treading down the gravel road, Lilith saw Ken's head droop in sadness. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just...I don't think I have the ability to control time. If I did, I'd probably be able to save my brother, even if I didn't know about my powers."

"Oh, Ken," Lilith said softly. She and Ken pulled behind the others so they could talk in privacy. "There was _nothing _you could have done. What happened...it wasn't your fault. You-"

"Why couldn't I have stopped time back then, huh? I wanted so much to save him!" Ken's fists were clenched and his aura gave off a strong sense of self hate or disappointment.

"Back then your powers were asleep, Ken!" Lilith shouted. "You couldn't have done anything! Let go of the past and quit hating yourself!"

By now the other two were at Lilith's house and completely out of ear shot. "_How would you know?_" Ken bellowed, advancing on her. "How could you _possibly _know what it was like for me?! I know you lost your parents too, Lilith, but have you _ever _had that helplessness and the feeling that you know you could have done something more?! _have you!?_"

Lilith was so enraged that her nails were digging into her palms. She stopped walking and practically burst into tears. "_Yes!_" she screamed, "I have felt that!" she dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands, shaking with anger and frustration. "Your brother may have been killed in an accident, Ken, but _my parents_ were killed on purpose! That-that _monster _killed them both, and I couldn't do a thing!" Lilith was now gasping for air from shouting and crying and her shoulders were shaking.

Ken's anger had turned into sympathy; he knelt down next to Lilith and put his hand on her shoulder. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his chest. After Lilith had calmed down and her crying had turned into sniffles, Ken stroked her hair and whispered the question once more: "How did your parents die?"

Lilith looked up from Ken's chest and into his eyes. She pulled away and sat next to him, her arms around her knees; she was ready to tell him. "My family and I used to live much farther away from Tokyo than me and Lyle do now. We were about thirty miles away in a house not to different from the one I live in now..."

Our house was surrounded by a forest, much like this one, but had a set of stone stairs behind our house that lead to a small path that would take you to a very beautiful spot in the forest; I used to always play around there. I still remember the cherry blossoms the bloomed in the spring time and the pond full of fish that were bigger than I was. Anyway, my mother and I would always go for walks down there; as a matter of fact, that's where I met Nekomata; she was my only friend, but that was all I needed. In my opinion, my life was perfect.

Our family was always happy. And of course with the Knightsphere's living with us, we were perfectly safe. See, my dad and mom were mages in the Order. As a matter of fact, they were in the top council. Mama was already teaching me how to heal people and use my own rare gift; I can't tell you what it is, though; I was always determined to learn everything she could do; I wanted to be just like her. 

Lyle would often take me adventuring in the forest with him; he would always tell me that Mama named me in the forest, staring at the crows and the sky. She said my name was that of the Star Goddess, Lilith, who watched over all of the night and kept hope burning brightly for those who had none. We used to have horses and cows, too. Where we lived was like a ranch, really, but it was the best place I'd ever been.

One day we decided to take a trip to see Tokyo. It was to be my first time. I was so excited, I could barely stay in my seat in the car. Lyle's stories made me even more anxious.

When we got there, I was completely stunned. This place was _huge_! We stayed at one of the better hotels, mainly because Mom and Dad were so rich. We were going to stay for about two weeks. One night me and Mama went out shopping while Dad and Lyle went somewhere else, and the Knightsphere's did their own thing; that night was the worst night of my life.

When me and Mama were heading back to the hotel, we came upon a group of men who didn't look at all pleasant. Instead, we headed down an alley that was pretty dark. Mom lit a bright fire in her hands while I lit a small dim one. While trekking down the alley, we heard, strange enough, a stagecoach or carriage heading toward us. The weird thing about this stagecoach was that there were no horses.

Then it came to a stop and a man came out of it. He was tall with blond, almost white hair, dressed in blue, and had a red cape. Mama must have been worried because she made sure I was behind her. "Good evening, ma'am," he said. Then he looked down at me and grinned; the kind of grin that made me think he knew me or something.

Well, whatever he was, he reached a hand out toward Mom and she ran, holding my hand and making sure I was behind her. I asked her what was going on and who that man was, but she told me to just keep running. The next thing I knew, a red whip-like thing shot out and wrapped around Mom's ankle. She fell over and must have been hurt pretty bad because she couldn't get back up.

I tried to help her up, but was so scared. That man was slowly coming closer, like he was toying with us. Then Mom shoved me away and told me to run and not to look back. At first I protested, but she threatened to burn me if I didn't. So I ran; I ran so fast and so hard that I nearly tripped.

I could hear Mom screaming behind me while that _thing _was hurting her, and I disobeyed Mom's orders and turned around; That thing was biting her neck like some sort of vampire! As much as I wanted to help Mom, it was like my feet wanted to flee, so I did. Then, he just appeared in front of me. I tried to run the other way, but he grabbed my arms and told me to come with him; I refused and tugged away, then Dad and Lyle showed up. Dad was very angry and attacked the vampire with all his fury.

Lyle grabbed me and we both hid behind a trash can, watching Dad and silently cheering him on. At first, we thought he was going to win; he shot fireballs at the vampire and singed his cape. But then, the vampire called upon his attack called Crimson Lightning and struck Dad hard; he hit the ground and the vampire came closer to him. I tried to run to Dad, but Lyle held me back. In the next few seconds, we watched as my Dad was completely torn apart by that monster.

I was so scared and so...mad. The only things I could really remember was stepping out from behind the garbage can, and red energy all over the place...

"After that, everything went black. I later found out that both of William's parents were dead too. They were killed before my mom." Lilith had tears in her eyes again as her story came to a close. 

Ken wrapped his arms around her and tried his best to comfort her. Now he understood; Aika was _way_ off on the details of what happened. Lilith had tried to help her Mom, but her mother wanted her to live, so she made her run. "Maybe we should go inside now, huh?"

Lilith wiped her tears away, sighed, then nodded, smiling, glad to get her story out of her system. When they finally got to her house, Lyle and Ariyuki asked where they had been. After a bit of fibbing, Lilith lead Ken and Ariyuki back upstairs to begin their little magic class. Lilith started with the most basic thing; herbs. "They can save your life or kill you swiftly," she told them.

Ken and Ariyuki glanced at each other, then back at Lilith. "I'm going to show you the most basic herb," she withdrew a green little plant with a red berry in it, "This is called mistletoe, but I'm sure you know what mistletoe is, or do you? You probably know the logical answer; a plant used in Christmas time for kissing a loved one who stands under it, right? Well, that's not all it's used for; it's also used for exorcism. You use it to banish spirits in a house, and I _only_ recommend it on a house. You can use it on possessed people, but it puts their very soul in peril, because mistletoe is an intense plant filled with energy.

"It's normally too strong for weak human bodies and could probably banish the soul within along with the evil spirit. However," she giggled at the two stunned and somewhat afraid boys, "I doubt you guys will have to use exorcism. Here," she handed them each one, "Mistletoe is also used for protection, and by the looks of it, you're gonna need it."

Magic soon became more complicated than Ken thought. Lilith had to show them just about every plant that ever existed and tell them what it does. It was only when Lilith finally got to the magic part when Ken and Ariyuki got excited. Lilith showed Ariyuki the best position for healing a person: sitting straight, head up, and eyes closed. Then Lilith had Ariyuki heal the scrapes on her and Ken's knees from when they tripped back at the street.

After Lilith was through with Ariyuki, she had him go downstairs and play with Lyle while she would try to teach Ken his magic. Since she'd never seen a mage that could control time before, she had to teach Ken while reading from the book. After she showed Ken how to will something to stop in time, she would have him practice by throwing bits of water in the air and have him try to stop them. He failed five times and got pretty soaked before barely managing to keep one in the air, but that was all he could do.

"Lilith," Ken said finally, "How come my time freeze power was so much stronger back in the streets?"

"Remember the primitive power thing?" she reminded him, "It boosts your power level to all time high point, but it only lasts for a few seconds, kind of like the rise and fall of anger and fear. That's why when I realized what you could do, I made sure we ran for it, because when your fear ran out, so would your power." Lilith stood up and stared out her window, "Looks like Ariyami's right. I think it's gonna rain. Well, lets call it quits for today; I'm getting kinda hungry."

Lilith and Ken, feeling somewhat exhausted, trotted down the stairs and both shuddered when they heard thunder boom through the air outside. "Sounds like quite a gale, huh?" Lyle asked from the reclining chair when they entered the vast living room. Ken saw Ariyuki laying on the couch, preparing for a nap. Then he felt Nekomata rub against his legs, purring and mewing for attention.

"That meowing won't work, Nekomata," Lilith told her tartly, "Use your words like a big girl."

Nekomata growled, but stared her great blue eyes up at Ken's and her voice echoed in his head, _C'mon, pet me! Love me!_

"Jeez, sometimes I wonder who's more childish; Lyle, or Nekomata?" Lilith sat down at the couch and moved Ariyuki's legs so Ken could too. Just then the phone rang and Lyle got up to answer it.

"How much you wanna bet that's Davis?" Ken asked in irritation.

"Ken, it's for you! Davis, I think!" Lyle's voice echoed from the kitchen.

Ken scowled at both Nekomata and Lilith before stalking into the kitchen. Lyle handed him the phone and he reluctantly said, "Hello?"

"_Ken! Did you forget about our meeting in the park or what?! C'mon! Everyone's waiting!_"

"Davis, how did you find me here?"

"_Kari told us where you were. C'mon already! Let's go! We'll see ya in the usual meeting place. See ya!_" 

_Next chance I get, I'm gonna buy a whole cage of rats and let 'em loose in Kari's room_, Ken thought bitterly, hanging up the phone and reentering the living room. "I gotta go, guys. Davis and the others are expecting me at the park again."

"Oh, alright, then," said Lilith gently shaking Ariyuki awake. He yawned and rubbed his big eyes, asking what time it was.

"Time for us to get going," Ken told him.

As Ken and the bemused Ariyuki left out the door, Lilith waved good-bye and urged them to be careful of the rain. While trotting down the gravel road and just as little droplets of water hit their heads, Ken and Ariyuki ran across William, apparently in a hurry. "Hi Will!" Ariyuki piped up.

"Oh, uh, what do you two want?" he asked, evidently distracted. 

"Listen, Will," Ken said quietly, "I'm sorry about your parents."

"My parents? Oh! Oh, yes! Well, don't mention it again!" and with that, he dashed toward the house.

"He can be really weird sometimes," Ariyuki informed Ken innocently. 

_More than that,_ thought Ken. _He seemed to hardly remember his parents at all. I still have trouble getting over Sam's death. I just _know _he up to something. _

It wasn't long until the little sprinkle of rain turned into a downpour and Ken and Ariyuki rushed toward the park. They found all the other Digidestined and their Digimon sitting under the shade of a few large umbrellas at the tables. They also spied Ariyami with Neomon, Midori, and Wormmon. "You guys okay?" he asked them.

"We're just _fine_," Ken told them with a large air of anger and sarcasm.

"Well, we remembered your message about Lilith's dream and the Digimon Sovereign," said Yolei cautiously.

"Yeah, what's goin' on?" Davis added.

"Nothing much," said Ken, sitting down with Ariyuki, "Lilith just had a dream that had the Sovereign speaking of getting stronger. I just thought it might be an important issue."

Cody looked uncertain along with the others. "Ken, we don't mean to sound mean, but we don't think you should be putting all of your trust into Lilith."

"What are you talking about?" Ken asked. "Look, Lilith's one of my best friends. Why do you guys have such a problem with her?"

"Because you're spending way too much time with her!" Yolei told him. "It's like you're not part of the team anymore. You're _always_ at her house or you're _always_ with her! You even showed her the Digital World, Ken! What were you thinking!?"

"Look, that was blackmail! And she's completely trustworthy!" Ken shouted. "You're acting as though she's a spy for the Sovereign or something! She's helping us stop him!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Cody, "Well, when you were the Digimon Emperor and we didn't know who you were, we thought you could help us too. But instead you-"

At that moment Ariyuki knocked Cody to the ground. "I told you to leave Ken alone about that!" he shouted. "And, I don't know why, but you guys don't trust anyone, except people who are Digidestined, barely that!"

"Ya know," said Ariyami coolly to everyone, "You guys _are _kinda getting uptight about this. It's just a _dream _issue, people. Let's just go to the Digital World and find out if she's right or not. We should have done that in the first place instead of engage in a name-calling fest."

"Ariyami's right," said T.K, talking for the first time since the fight started. "Worrying about how reliable Lilith is isn't gonna help us any, is it? If anything, we should go in and find out!"

"Alright! T.J's got a plan!" Davis broadcasted.

So, after settling the argument in a few short seconds, the Digidestined all made their way to Davis's house since it was the closest. It seemed Davis's room got messier every time they came in; there were soda cans littering the floor and some green fuzzy stuff in the corner. While Davis stepped on his clothes to get to his computer, everyone else tried to keep as much distance as possible from them, unknowing what kind of things, living or dead, could be hiding in them. Ariyuki then asked Ken how often Davis's mom would do a room inspection.

"I'm willing to bet that she never wants to come in here again," Ken told him.

"Alright, guys!" David announced, "Are we ready to go?"

"Please!" everyone shouted simultaneously. Davis grumbled, but put his digivice to the screen anyway. In a flash they were gone. Through the ride to the Digital World, Ariyami volunteered to hold Ariyuki through the whole trip so he wouldn't get too sick. Everyone landed on their feet in the Digital World; everyone except Davis, that is, who lands on his feet then falls over on his backside.

They sky all around was filled with an unnatural darkness; Ariyuki and Ariyami's white Digivices began to hum and vibrate. It was like the same cloud of darkness the Digimon Sovereign called upon last time. "What's going on, Ken?" Ariyuki asked, tugging at his sleeve.

"I don't know, Ariyuki, but I think Lilith was right. Look at this place!" then he aimed his Digivice at Wormmon, "Try to Digivolve, Wormmon!"

"I can't, Ken," he said after about five tries. The strange cloud of darkness was acting like a control spire itself.

"Alright, then!" declared Ariyuki. "Midori! Crystal Digivolve!"

"Kailomon, Crystal Digivolve to...Mysticmon!"

"Well, it looks like Ariyuki's Digimon can still digivolve," said Yolei.

"Ariyami, it's your Digimon's turn." Kari told him.

"Right," Ariyami aimed his white digivice at Neomon, "Crystal Digivolve, Neomon!"

"Neomon, Crystal Digivolve to...Shadowmon!"

"Don't worry, Ariyuki, we'll scout around and find out what's going on around here," Midori said, soaring up into the sky.

"Yes, stay here and wait. We'll be back soon," added Shadowmon.

"Wow, Ariyami. We never knew your Digimon could Crystal Digivolve too," said Yolei, impressed. While all eight Digidestined waited, Ariyami told them all about his Digimon's ability to Crystal Digivolve. It was only when he go to the part where Shadowmon burst a hole through the Sovereign's roof did Midori and Shadowmon return.

"We found out that the this strange cloud of Darkness is coming from the Digimon Sovereign's base," Shadowmon told them all, removing his black hood.

"Then we just need to go there," advised Ariyami.

"Alright! You two carry us, alright?" Davis informed Midori and Shadowmon. Midori scooped Ariyuki into her arms along with Kari, Yolei, and Cody, while Shadowmon carried Davis, T.K, and Ken. Each Digidestined carried their own Digimon. Ariyami, of course having the ability to fly, stayed close to Shadowmon. It was even harder to find the Sovereign's crystal fortress now that the sun wasn't out to reflect off it. 

However, it wasn't as hard as trying to find the little hold at the side of the third crystal to the right. Once it was discovered thought, Midori and Shadowmon Digivolve Downgraded so they could fit through the tunnel. "This place is amazing," said Gatomon in awe. 

"Yeah, the Digimon Sovereign really redecorated your base, Ken," added Ariyami, patting his back. Once they came upon the same height identification door, Kari let it scan her again while everyone else stepped back. The doors slid open and they saw, not to Kari or Ariyami's surprise, the room that resembled a forest. However, instead of being empty, the forest was brimming with life. Rookie level Digimon were dotted here and there.

Gizamon munched on some grass while a clan of Elecmon played a type of tag game. Gekomon and a Shellmon relaxed in the water. The Digidestined noticed, however, that every one of the Digimon had a dark ring. "This seems to be some sort of Digimon habitat," said Ken thoughtfully. "I wonder what the other two crystals have..."

"_Master_," an electronic voice sounded from the speaker next to the Digimon Sovereign who was working in his dark and highly advanced control room. "_Intruders, master, in habitat two_."

The Sovereign pushed a blue button on the large control panel in front of him and a monitor for Habitat two lit up. He grinned watching the Digidestined walking about in the habitat. "Well, let's see how welcome these fools feel if I do _this_." he smashed another button next to the first one.

All the Digimon around the Digidestined with dark rings were writhing in pain as their rings glowed red. Then their eyes flashed red and they stared hungrily at the Digidestined. "Now, my Digimon, _attack_!" the Sovereign cried maniacally through a speaker. The Gizamon charged, their feet thumping the ground.

"They're coming right at us!" Yolei shouted in panic.

"Spiral Saw!" they screamed simultaneously. Just before their horns made contact with Kari, Ariyami stepped in the way and waved his hands. A wave of blue light surrounded the Gizamon and they stopped running and fell to the floor, snoring; Ariyami had knocked them out. Then the Shellmon leapt out of the water and shot his Hydro Blaster attack at all of them, destroying a few enslaved Elecmon in the process. Neomon leapt in front of the Digidestined and instantly digivolved into Shadowmon; Midori did the same.

Shadowmon drew out his vast sword and used his dark "_Sword of Faith_!" attack on the water blast, splitting it in two so that it missed the Digidestined. Midori stepped onto the deep water and used a special attack, combining her Twilight Flash with the now glowing mystical water and launched it at Shellmon, destroying him in an instant. Now every Digimon in the habitat was either asleep or deleted. Stepping out of the water, Midori fell to her knees and began chanting something.

"What's she doing-?" Davis began, but was unable to finish the question because Shadowmon put up a hand.

"Be silent. She is praying for the lost loves of the Digimon," he told them.

"Well, isn't this just _touching_?" taunted a voice behind them, "I mean, doesn't it just make you wanna cry, Baron?"

"Actually, I feel like I wanna puke."

"Sovereign!" T.K. barked, "What do you want now?"

"I think the question is, what do _you _want now? You're in my fortress, after all."

"Why don't you give up your cruel ways?! You're hurting innocent Digimon! Can't you see that?!" Cody roared.

"Honestly, you break into _my _fortress and you accuse _me _of wrongdoing? I feel so hurt. However, I don't hurt as much as you will, especially since you trespassed in the territory of the most powerful being in the Digital World." the Digimon Sovereign sneered.

T.K. smirked; this was all too familiar. It reminded him of the time when Ken told him that. "Ya know, at first I thought you were nothing like Ken. I figured you were more clever or smarter, but really, you're _just _like he was. You _claim _to be the most power being here, but do you really know what you're doing, or the secrets that surround this place?"

The Digimon Baron's anger was rising to the peak, but the Sovereign kept his cool. He simply started to laugh. "I know more about the Digital World than you could ever learn. I've been in the Digital World for centuries now, Digidestined, not that you ever knew." his face grew even more smug, "I am superior to you in _every _way. A perfect being; something Ken _tried _to be, but couldn't accomplish because his heart got in the way; a weakness that befalls almost everyone."

"Having a heart isn't a weakness, Sovereign, it's a strength!" Ken retorted.

"Yeah!" shouted Yolei, "Something you never had and probably never will!"

"You may be powerful, Sovereign, but it won't get you anywhere if you don't have a heart!" Ariyami added. "A heart is what makes you a person! It's what makes you kind, sincere, and even reliable! Without a heart, you're nothing!" 

"Indeed? Do you even know what having a heart is, Digidestined?" he suddenly became extremely angry and his voice level rose. "I lost my heart centuries ago because of _them_!" he pointed at the Digimon. "Having a heart is when you have extreme power and you use it only for good! I lived among the Digimon once! I was reliable! I was sincere! I was...kind!

"Then they stabbed me and Baron in the back and destroyed who we once were! I was alone and scared for years upon years! Do you have any idea what it's like?! Helpless and friendless; I'll make them pay! I'll make you all _pay_!" dark, murky energy erupted from the Digimon Sovereign. He drew is silver blade out and charged for Ken. Ken dodged just in time, swerved back, and grabbed the Digimon Sovereign's wrists.

In an instant he disappeared, but the sword fell to the floor. Ken picked it up and studied it; however, it wasn't long until he was using it. At that moment, the Sovereign reappeared in the air above Ken. He screamed madly and used an aerial attack with a blue beam sword that nearly chopped Ken's head off.

Then Ken and the Sovereign engaged in a swift and deadly duel. Their weapons would clash together and create streaks of lightning, similar to what would happen during the fight between the Sovereign and Ariyami. Ken, who had never used a sword in his life, was using clumsy moves and tactics in an attempt to get away from the Sovereign in one piece. Then, the boy took one quick swipe and slashed Ken's shoulder; blood instantly began to flow to the floor.

Ken fell to his knees, whimpering and cradling his shoulder. The Digimon Sovereign stood over him, triumph in his smirk. His visage slid in and out of focus, though. Ken could hardly see; he was weak and exhausted. What he could see was the Sovereign raising his rapier high. 

Ken snapped his eyes shut, knowing what would soon follow. The Digimon Sovereign brought the sword swishing down when...

"_No_!" Ken heard an oddly familiar voice cry. It caught his attention, and his concentration returned along with his vision. He looked up and saw the Sovereign holding his head, apparently in pain.

"What is the matter with you?!" he heard him bellow. After about a minute of Ken watching him, the Sovereign regained his strength and rematerialized his beam sword. Thinking quick, however, Ken grabbed the silver sword and made one wild swing toward him. With a shriek of agony the Digimon Sovereign jumped away, supporting his bleeding right arm; Ken had left a long gash from his elbow joint to his wrist.

Blood dripped onto the floor, similar to when it did when Ken was cut. Now it was the Sovereign's turn to be on his knees; Ken loomed over him, throwing the rapier into a tree. "Now we're gonna find out who you are," Ken told him. "The threat ends here, Sovereign!"

However, with a flash of brutal claws, Ken staggered backwards, a cut on his face. Shiromon had joined the fray. Then he turned to the Sovereign. "Oh, master! Are you alright?"

"I'll live," he grunted. He then pulled a black pearl whistle out of one of his pockets and put his lips to it. It made a shrill sound that seemed to fill the entire fortress. At first, nothing happened; it was silent all around. Then, with a sudden roar, the massive Kimeramon burst through the crystal wall, destroying a few Digimon who were sleeping; Ariyami managed to rescue a few, though and remove their dark rings.

"Good baby," cooed the Digimon Sovereign, "Now, attack these cowering fools!" Kimeramon nodded and obeyed, charging the Digidestined and their rookie Digimon.

Thinking fast, Ariyuki called his Digimon. "Midori, we'll go and find the Sovereign's control room! If we can shut off the power, maybe we get rid of the darkness cloud too and the others can Digivolve!"

Midori nodded. "Let's go!" now back at her rookie level, Midori followed Ariyuki to a ventilation shaft where he kicked the vent in and they crawled through. "Let's just pray the others can survive a little longer."

Meanwhile, Shadowmon was distracting Kimeramon while the others thought of a plan. "If we can't get our Digimon to digivolve soon, we're dead!" Davis shouted while they sought refuge under a tree.

"We can't leave Shadowmon out there for much longer!" Ariyami told them all, "He's not strong enough to take on that thing!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ariyuki, we've gotta pick up the pace. The others are counting on us!"

"I know, but I just don't know where to go." Ariyuki was crawling in the lead, occasionally peering through different vents to check and see if they could be in the right place. He knew they were really stuck when they came upon a fork in the vent.

"Now what?" Midori asked.

"Shh. Maybe, if I feel for it with my digivice, I might be able to find the right direction." Ariyuki drew his white Digivice out of his pocket and held it tightly in his hands. _Please_, he though desperately, _Please, help me find the right way. I need to help my friends! Please help me!_

"Ariyuki?" he heard a familiar voice say. He opened his eyes and found himself once again in the water realm. The same beautiful, gentle waterfalls trickled from somewhere high in the sky, shimmering an enchanting purple. And, before him, was Kii; still as beautiful and as enchanting as ever, her violet hair brushing the floor. "You call upon me again? How has your training been with Lilith?"

"It's been good," he said honestly. "I'm getting better and not as tired."

"I am proud for you. However, now you are trying to find a power within yourself, are you not? Trying to see which path is the right one?" Kii approached Ariyuki.

"Uh, huh. It's just, if I don't hurry, Kimeramon might destroy everyone! All my friends are in trouble, Kii!"

"I know, Ariyuki. However, you must not panic and you must not fear, or your mind will cloud quickly," Kii told him wisely. "And, my young one, even if you _do _manage to destroy Kimeramon, there will still be the Sovereign to worry about. This child is infused with magic centuries old, along with the spirit. Ariyuki, you do not yet know who the Sovereign is, but when you do learn, be kind and understanding."

Ariyuki didn't know what Kii was talking about, but nodded. "You seem to now know, Ariyuki, that when you are in need to me, you simply need to have your digivice in hand and your soul searching for me. I will find you and bring guidance when I feel you need it. Ariyuki, the control room you are searching for is filled with darkness. You know that your digivice responds to darkness's call by humming; find and evade all darknesses this way."

"Thanks, Kii," Ariyuki said, holding his digivice. "Bye, bye!" soon everything went black again and Ariyuki found himself back in the ventilation shaft; no time had passed again. He held his digivice close and felt for the control room. First he pointed right, but nothing happened; then he pointed left and it vibrated in his hands. "This way!"

Ariyuki and Midori crawled down the left shaft and scanned different vents for the control room. Then, somewhere near the end of the shaft, they found it. The digivice hummed out of control when they peeked through another vent and found themselves gazing at a dark room. Ariyuki kicked the vent out and jumped onto the floor, Midori following suit. Gazing around, Ariyuki felt shivers run up and down his spine.

The room was full of technology; different capsules full of dark rings and spirals seemed to fill the corner to the right. Whips, guns, and various other weapons rested on a shelf to left of them. Right ahead of them was a high-tech chair and a control panel that stretched from the left to the right. There was only one screen on and that was the monitor that showed habitat two. Ariyuki's eyes were glued to what he saw; Shadowmon was being thrown from wall to wall and beaten by several different arms.

"Shadowmon!" Ariyuki cried helplessly.

"Ariyuki! One of these buttons _has _to shut off the power! Let's look for it!" Midori instructed.

"It all looks so complicated," Ariyuki mused, staring at each button. "Better try everything. How 'bout this one?" he pushed a large green button and all the lights turned on in the control room. "Nope," he pressed it again and the room went dark save for the monitor.

"Ooh! Look at this shiny red one, Ariyuki!" Midori pointed out.

"Great. Push it!" he told her. 

She obeyed and instantly red sirens went off everywhere and a voice sounded out, "_Intruder alert! Intruder alert!_" the voice even echoed in habitat two.

"Sounds like the little guy's found the control room," Ariyami pointed out.

"Turn it off! Turn it off!" Ariyuki shouted in panic, covering his ears. She pressed it again, but nothing happened; the noise still continued to blare. Unable to bear the horribly shrill sound, Ariyuki and Midori smashed every button they could find, but nothing happened. Then Ariyuki saw it; a large switch on the wall tot he left of him. He grabbed it and pushed down with all of his power, but it was making slow progress; the thing was almost as big as him.

Midori then came to help. After a whole minute of trying and attempting to remain sane under the horrid siren, Ariyuki and Midori gave one mighty push and the breaker hit the bottom; all at once the entire room went black. All throughout the fortress, the power shut off and the siren deceased its loud call. The silence was wonderful to Ariyuki and Midori's throbbing ears.

Then they noticed light entering the room through a window. They checked it and found that the sky was blue again. Ariyuki was right! By shutting off the power, he had shut off the dark cloud itself! 

They even had light back in habitat two because of the gigantic hole in the wall made by Kimeramon. "Alright!" cried Yolei, aiming her digivice at Hawkmon, "Digivolve!"

"Hawkmon, Digivolve to...Aquilamon!"

The other Digidestined did the same. The only Digimon who couldn't digivolve was Neomon, who had passed out from being beaten so much. While he and Ariyami watched from the sidelines, the other six Digidestined charged Kimeramon.

"Hey, Ariyuki. Look at this!" Ariyuki went to inspect what Midori had found. She was pointing at a large green button that was on the wall and surrounded by glass.

"Hey, that's a self destruct button." Ariyuki's face lit up. "Let's push it! We can stop the Digimon Sovereign here and now!" using a wrench that was lying on a desk, Ariyuki broke open the glass and pressed the green button. The entire fortress shook momentarily, then...

"_Attention! The self destruct sequence has been activated! Five minutes to detonation! Please evacuate the premises at once!_"

"That little nut set off the self destruct switch!" the Baron howled. "I'll get him for this!"

"No, Baron! We're getting out of here while we can!" the Sovereign scooped up Shiromon and leapt out of the hole in the fortress, the Baron following.

"Let's get out of here, guys!" T.K. advised. "Looks like Ariyuki went overboard!" all seven of the Digidestined soared out of the hole, each riding their Digimon, while Ariyami carried Neomon.

When they were safely away from the base, they turned around to watch it detonate. Then something hit Ken that made his insides turn over. "Where's Ariyuki, guys?!"

"Oh, my God!" cried Yolei. "he must still be inside!"

"Alright! Let's get outta here, Midori!" Ariyuki ran to the door across the room, but it wouldn't budge.

Then he heard over the intercom, "_All doors are now locked!_"

"Midori, we're locked in!" Ariyuki cried, "Crystal Digivolve!"

Once Midori was Mysticmon, she blew a hole through the door and they both dashed out. Running down the halls Ariyuki heard the electronic voice. "_One minute to detonation!_" then they came upon a dead end with five doors.

"We won't be able to try them all in time, Ariyuki! Pick one, quick!" Midori shouted.

Ariyuki thought fast. He pointed to the one to his very right. "That one!" Midori shot her Twilight Flash and blew it open. They immediately saw sky. Midori grabbed Ariyuki and soared out. Just as they were fifty feet out, the fortress exploded, and Midori and Ariyuki were caught in the blast.

All seven of the other Digidestined watched in horror as they both were engulfed in smoke. "_No!_" Ken screamed. He and Stingmon tried to fly to them, but the others held them back; it wasn't safe yet. 

Then Ariyami looked down and saw two figures lying on the ground; one was little green Midori and the other was Ariyuki. Ariyami dropped down to the ground as fast as he could, the others following him. They can't be dead! Not now! They were so close!

Ariyami landed and ran straight to Ariyuki. "Ariyuki! C'mon, little guy, wake up, _please!_" he shook the little one, but his head simply bobbed from side to side. 

The others were soon beside Ariyami. "Is he...he isn't...he can't be...dead?" Yolei begged, tears streaming down her face. She buried her face in her gloved hands and looked away.

"He gave his life to help us stop the Sovereign," whispered T.K, removing his bucket hat.

"_Sovereign!_" Ariyami roared. "he's responsible for this! Where is that little scum bag?!"

Then Midori stirred behind them. She groaned as she tried to stand up, but one look at Ariyuki snapped her eyes open and she ran toward him. However, she tripped over a large rock and was sent flying right into Ariyuki's stomach. His eyes shot open and he gasped for air. He got up on his hands and knees, and coughed, vomiting a little.

"Hey, guys, he's okay!" Davis announced joyfully.

Ariyuki moaned and held his throbbing head. "What happened?" he asked bemusedly.

"Once again, it seems this little tyke has nine lives or something," said T.K. 

Ariyami picked Ariyuki up and held him tightly. "We're glad you're okay, little buddy," then he pulled away and looked Ariyuki in the face. "I must say you gave us all a little scare there. We thought you'd pushed up daisies."

Yolei then thumped Ariyami on the head. "This is no time to joke, you insensitive jerk! Let me hold him!" she took Ariyuki from his other counterpart and cuddled him like a teddy bear. "Are you okay, though? You're not hurt or anything?"

"No, I think I'm okay," Ariyuki admitted sleepily. 

While everyone gathered around Ariyuki to hold him or congratulate him, high on a sand dune, overlooking the fiery ruins that was once his mighty fortress, the Sovereign sighed. "Well, so much for Kimeramon. Oh, well. My powers have now reached their peak anyway; it's time to find that talisman so I can get my revenge over with."

"Master, what about...um-" the Baron began.

"Oh, yes. The permanent host thing. This body will do fine. Tomorrow we'll do the quick ritual, make my soul everlasting, _then _we'll go looking for the talisman. Good thinking, Baron. Let's go home now."

"We're so proud of you, though, Ariyuki! You and Midori really make a great team!" it was Ken's turn to give Ariyuki some praise for his bravery.

"Ken," moaned Ariyuki, "I really wanna go home now. I'm really sleepy." he yawned and buried his face in Ken's not bloody shoulder.

"Yeah, I think sleep is what you need right now. We'll see you guys later; tomorrow, maybe! Bye!" Ken and Ariyami waved good-bye to the others while also searching for a portal back home.

By the time they had gotten back through the portal home, Ariyuki was already asleep. Ken laid him down on his bottom bunk and covered him up in warm blankets. Midori then found a place to settle down near Ariyuki's feet; smiling, Ken and Ariyami sauntered into the living room, tired, but happy to be home. Molly greeted them cheerfully from the kitchen while tending to her noodles and chicken.

Ken and Ariyami were shocked but quite pleased when they spotted Cal sitting on the sofa. He had been released from the hospital because the doctors said there was nothing else wrong with him. "Hey, guys," he greeted them cheerfully.

"Hey Dad," Ken and Ariyami both said, sitting down next to him.

"It's ten thirty-four. Where have you two been?" he asked.

"You know, the usual. Defeating evil tyrants, destroying strange creations, blowing things up...Nothing out of the ordinary," Ariyami replied, sighing and yawning. All three of them laughed heartily while Molly set the table for supper.

_What a strange room she was in; it seemed to be made up of a forest. Ken was kneeling on the ground in front of her, whimpering and holding his arm, which was bleeding. Lilith wanted to help Ken and was approaching him, but then she came to a stop and raised a blue sword up high. She was going to kill him! What was she thinking?!_

"_No!_" Lilith sprang up in bed, her hand reaching out to nothing. Realizing where she really was, she fell back on her back, her shaking hands on her splitting head. "Why do I keep having these dreams, these nightmares?" she sat up and stared outside her window; the sun was shining and she could hear birds chirping merrily.

Suddenly Lilith's arm began to throb with pain. She gasped in surprise and ache and gazed down at her hurting limb. It was bleeding heavily. Shocked, she dashed out of her room, across the hall, and into the bathroom to clean and wrap her mysterious wound.

After binding it with bandages, Lilith dressed herself in black jeans, a white T-shirt and black vest, brushed her short, fiery hair and stumbled downstairs, her right arm still hurting. "Mornin', Sunshine!" Lyle sang when Lilith entered the kitchen. His expression changed, however, when he saw Lilith's bandages that ranged from her elbow to her wrist. "My God, Lilith! What happened?!"

"It was another dream, Lyle," she replied, grabbing a plate, fork, and three pancakes.

"Lilith, this is the fifth time this has happened!" Lyle told her while she seated herself and poured syrup on her pancakes. "I think I should consult with Fennel about this; what do you think? He's one of the best healing mages in the Order and knows an awful lot about dreams and their nature."

"I don't think that would be such a bad idea, Lyle," Lilith replied nonchalantly, pouring some milk in a saucer and placing it on the table for Nekomata. Lyle smiled and just then the phone rang. "I'll get it," Lilith called. She walked next to the sink and picked up the phone that was hanging on the wall. "Tsutomo residence. Oh, hi, Ken!"

"_Hey, Lilith! Sleep well?_"

"So-so. How have you been? Was your picnic any fun?" Lilith scowled at Lyle when she was him flash his eyelashes and pucker his lips tauntingly. 

"_I wouldn't exactly say 'Fun_'," he replied, sounding exhausted just remembering it. "_We ended up fighting the Digimon Sovereign in his own base yesterday! He was quite a little monster; slashed my shoulder with his beam sword!_"

"He did?" Lilith asked, shocked. "Are you alright?"

"_Oh, yeah. I'm fine; better than fine. I got a little revenge on him._"

Lilith grinned. "What did you do?"

"_I used his own sword against him and cut his arm straight from his elbow to wrist! I got him good!_"

Lilith was about to laugh when she took notice to her own arm. Her heart froze. "Uh, Ken? That sounds interesting. Which arm did you get?"

"_I slashed his right arm! He'll be feeling that today._"

"I think he is," Lilith murmured.

"_Huh?_"

"Oh, nothing. Um, I guess I'll talk to ya later. I've got some chores to do. Bye!" Lilith slammed the phone on the receiver and made to go upstairs, her heart thumping madly.

"Lilith, where are ya going?" Lyle asked her.

"N-nowhere. I just feel a little dizzy. I'm gonna lay down." and with that, she darted upstairs to her room. She shut the door and locked it, approaching her bed. Could this be true? No, there's no way. This _has _to be some bizarre coincidence.

Then her dreams entered her head; from the blizzard and snow storm, to the nightmare she just had. Could these all be...? Then, she heard screaming; petrified screaming from thousands of Digimon in pain, begging for mercy while a cackle filled the air. The cackle of a voice that was far too familiar. Lilith fell to her knees and covered her ears, trying to block out all the crying and screaming.

"What's happening to me?!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. Then, it all came to a stop as Lilith realized the brutal, painful truth. She cried for hours on end afterward, knowing who she was. "I'm the Digimon Sovereign." 


	12. Ch12: Inner Struggle

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Digimon Sovereign, Digimon Baron, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere (more to come in future chapters) I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. Oh, the beginning of this chapter is the explanation to all this. It may be uneventful for a little while. Oh, and I'm using Takaru now instead of T.K. It just seems easier.

Chapter Twelve:

Inner Struggle

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night

Lilith lay on her bed, weeping, her soft pillow soaked with her tears. _When did this happen to me, and why? _she wondered in her mind. She drew a shuddering breath and sat up, feeling tired and, strangely, lost. She didn't know what to do; she felt like a helpless child, lost and being chased by something vicious.

Then she heard a soft mewing at the foot of her bed; Nekomata had slipped through the cat flap to get in. _Lilith, why are you crying? _Nekomata asked, tilting her head and jumping on the bed.

Lilith stared at her cat with a hesitating look on her face. _I can trust Nekomata, _she thought, _I'm sure she'll understand. _"Nekomata, there's something I need to tell you, though you'll think it's weird. You know this Sovereign that Ken's always talking about?" Nekomata, looking apprehensive, nodded. Lilith paused, then continued. "Well, I think...I think I'm..."

_Oh, so you know, huh? _she interrupted, making Lilith stare.

"Excuse me?" she said, wiping her eyes again, "What'd you mean by that?" Nekomata looked nervous and somewhat guilty. "You knew about this, didn't you?!" Lilith accused. "Are you in on this or something?!"

Nekomata hesitated, _No! Well, yeah...kinda._

Lilith took a deep sigh, her head throbbing. "Just tell me what you mean by that!" when Nekomata tried to object, Lilith shouted, "_NOW!_"

Nekomata cringed, but overlooked it and sighed. _Alright_. She closed her eyes and a quick flash of light appeared. When it was gone, Lilith gasped. Nekomata, her cat was no longer before her. Instead, a white, long-eared, cat-like creature with blue crystal eyes was staring up at her.

"You're a...a Digimon," Lilith breathed.

"Yes," Nekomata was now talking through her mouth and not her mind. "You're probably waiting for a story now, so here goes..."

__

I guess it all started five years ago, a couple months before those other Digimon attacked Tokyo. I was a newborn Digimon in the Digital World and already I wanted to leave and see what was out there; I heard from other Digimon that there were some humans from another world called the Digidestined. It completely sparked my interest, and I searched for them all over. Finally, I found a group of kids who were standing in a circle or some such thing and were rising through the air.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity, I leapt into the air after them and was sucked through a whirl of colors. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, soon to be leaping up at the sight before me! A huge city, and I was surrounded by it. At first I didn't think I'd ever want to leave, but the city was a meaner place than I thought; people, animal catchers, kept chasing me, and other animals shunned me because of what I was.

Finally, I left the city and traveled through a forest. By now I was so tired, I was desperate for a place to sleep. That's when I found this lovely pond with delicious water. While I was enjoying myself, I heard people coming toward me; a little red head girl and her mother. Not wanted to scare them, I created a disguise for myself; a kitten.

I still remember what you said when you saw me coming out of the bushes: "Oh, Mommy, look! A kitty! Come here, kitty. Come on."...

"And you know the rest."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy," said Lilith, "but tell me more about the Sovereign! Why is he here and why is he trying to hurt the Digital World?!"

"Well, first of all, the Sovereign is a she, and her name is Sovereign. She masqueraded as a boy so that the Digidestined wouldn't suspect an actual girl, or you for that matter. As far as she's told me, she wants to destroy the Digital World because of what happened a long time ago; ages, to be exact. See, Sovereign is a mage from about three hundred years ago, back when only a few mages chose to live here in this realm.

"She and Baron were, well, the first ever Digidestined. However, neither of them had their own Digimon. Anyway, they decided to live the rest of their lives there, because it was so much better than the real world. But, one day, she and Baron were accused of trying to destroy it by using the Dark Ocean, which they had no idea what that was. No one believed them and Azulongmon sentenced them to eternal imprisonment; I guess, though, even eternity has an end.

"Three hundred years later, when Venommyotismon was supposedly destroyed, it set off some sort of reaction and awoke Sovereign. Her spirit broke free of her prison. The first thing on her mind was revenge, however, her body was destroyed from age and only her soul remained. After freeing Baron, they went out in search of a host that they could live in." Nekomata then bowed her head.

"Sovereign chose me," Lilith finished, horrified. "Then who did Baron take control of?" she didn't even need Nekomata to help her with that one. "It's Will, isn't it?"

Nekomata looked grave. "Yeah. William didn't have a very resistant soul, because the minute Baron took control, he took practically permanent control; the only reason you aren't under permanent control is because you had a strong will. It's been this way for four years now. Sovereign would take control of you when you were the most exhausted; before bed, after school, those were the main times.

"When I discovered this, I decided to help her. Please don't be angry with me, Lilith!" Nekomata begged when she saw Lilith's face. "I only thought you might have wanted revenge on them too! To make Myotismon pay for killing your and William's parents! That's why I went with her; to make sure that Myotismon paid when he showed up."

Lilith felt dizzy and frustrated; her own pet was in on this! "What do we do now, Nekomata? What's Sovereign's plans for me?"

"I don't really know, Lilith. She wouldn't tell me. Probably knew I'd tell you," Nekomata replied honestly.

Lilith got out of her bed and started to pace, brooding about Sovereign's actions. "All those poor Digimon she's killed out of revenge and hate. Those Digimon were innocent...Nekomata, I'm scared of her. I don't know when she'll take control of me again."

"As long as you stay alert, she can't, but it won't work for long; her powers are coming back fast. Now she's searching for something called the Talisman of Power. With it, she'll be nearly unstoppable." Nekomata informed.

Lilith started thinking about going to the Digital World to destroy it, when the phone rang downstairs. She didn't move; what if it was Ken? Sure enough...

"Lilith! Phone for you! It's Ken again!"

Lilith looked back at Nekomata, nervous beyond anything she'd ever felt. Nekomata nodded toward the door, indicating her to go and talk to Ken. Reluctantly, Lilith agreed. "I'm coming!" she hollered back down the stairs. Lilith left her room and silently crept down the staircase. She saw Lyle against the wall, holding the phone.

"Here. It sounds kinda important, Lilith." Lyle handed it to her, then sauntered into the living room to watch his detective shows.

"Hello?"

"_Lilith, is everything okay? You seemed to be in quit a hurry to get off the phone._" Ken's voice was hushed and unsure.

"Yeah," she positively lied. "Everything's pretty good. Well...kinda. Not really."

"_What'd you mean? Is there anything I can do?_"

"Well," she glanced back at the stairs to see Nekomata, back in cat form, nodding again, urging her to answer. Then Lilith had a plan that would make her insides turn over. "Ken, can you meet me at the park? Say, at about," she glanced at their clock hanging on the wall, which read two twenty, "three thirty? There's something...I need to tell you."

"_Well, alright. I'll be there at three thirty. I hope everything's okay._" and with that, he hung up.

Lilith sighed heavily, then trudged back up to her room. "I just don't know how I'm gonna tell him this," she said to Nekomata, sitting on her bed and gripping her pillow."You're thinking only negatively, Lilith," Nekomata scolded. "Ken is _far _more understanding than that and you know it. If you explain everything, I'm positive he'll believe you."

"Yeah, you're right. He _will _understand." Lilith smiled at Nekomata. After Nekomata spent a half hour reassuring her, she and Lilith headed out the front door and toward Tokyo. Lilith changed to a long sleeve shirt so Ken wouldn't see her wound. She drew a deep breath on the way there, knowing Ken wouldn't hate her for this. When they entered the gates to the Park With No Name and saw Ken, however, Lilith's confidence diminished.

"Hey, Lilith," said Ken cheerfully, trying to cover up his worry. "I see you brought Nekomata." he bent down and scratched under her chin.

"Well, that's because this issue has to do with both of us," said Lilith blandly. When she saw Ken's wondering face, she almost couldn't bear standing there anymore; however, she knew she couldn't run because Nekomata's tail was wrapped around her ankle.

"So, what do you need to tell me?" Ken asked, straightening up.

Lilith hesitated, then sighed. "Ken, you know when you told me about slashing the Sovereign's arm?"

"Oh, is that about this?" Ken asked. "Hey, if you think I enjoyed hurting the kid, I didn't. It's just-"

He stopped when he saw tears build up in her eyes. "It's not that, Ken!" She backed away from him, then took her right sleeve and slowly started rolling it up until it reached her elbow joint. Ken gasped at the bandages, then looked back up at Lilith's face. "That's not all," admitted Lilith, indicating Nekomata.

Ken stared at her. Then, right before his eyes, Nekomata the _cat _disappeared and was replaced by Shiromon. "Wha...Lilith, you-"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, then took off in the other direction, Nekomata behind her. 

"Lilith, wait!" Ken called, chasing after her. However since she was much faster than him, he lost her in one minute. He knew where she went, though. He darted down the streets to where Tokyo would end and one turn would take him to a gravel road. In no time, he found himself knocking on the Tsutomo's door.

"Why, hello, Ken," said Lyle, shocked to find Ken at his doorstep.

"I'm...here to see...Lilith. Is she here?" he panted.

"Well, yeah. She just came in. Dashed right up the stairs and into her room. Is everything alright?" Lyle asked, looking concerned.

"I have to see her," Ken told him. Lyle nodded and he and Ken went upstairs. They tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"Lilith! Open this door!" Lyle called. There was no answer. Lyle told Ken to stand back for he was about to break the door open. As Lyle's whole force was applied to it, the door swung open and was nearly broken off its hinges. The room was completely empty. "Lilith? Where are you?" Lyle trekked through the room, Ken behind him. "Where could she have gone?" Lyle wondered aloud, opening the window and looking out. 

Ken spotted Lilith's computer monitor and instantly knew where she had gone.

"Lilith, what are we doing?" Nekomata asked, following Lilith through the sand.

"To find that talisman," she replied sternly. "Maybe, if I destroy it, Sovereign will give up her idea on revenge and leave me alone." She and Nekomata trudged through the desert sand in the Digital World, completely lost and having no idea as what to do next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, let's get this straight," said Yolei, sitting on the sofa along with Davis, Ariyuki, and Kari, while Ken, Cody, Takaru, Ariyami, and Lyle parked themselves on the floor, "Lilith is actually the Sovereign and her cat is really her Digimon partner?"

"It's not Lilith's fault!" cried Ariyuki. "She must be under some sort of spell!"

"I'm with Ariyuki, over here," agreed Davis. "I may not know Lilith that much, but I'm positive that she wouldn't hurt someone on _purpose!_"

"We all know Lilith isn't doing this by her will, but what can we do?" Kari asked, worry on her face. "For all we know, Sovereign's taken control of her again and is waiting for us to go in there and try to rescue her. She's probably got a trap set up for us and everything."

Davis leapt off the couch. "Well, trap or not, Lilith might be in trouble and us sitting here, worryingabout what to do, isn't gonna help her! We gotta go in there now before it's too late!"

Ariyami stood next to Davis. "Yeah, lets go!"

"Hold it, you two," Takaru interrupted. "We can't just barge right in there without a plan."

"Why not? I've always done that and it's always worked for me!" Davis interjected.

"Oh, yeah? Did it work for you when-"

"Enough! All of you!" Lyle's mighty voice boomed over them all, making them stare. He sat back down on his chair and sighed. "Just, how can we bring Lilith back? I'm worried for her."

"We know you are, Lyle," Kari began.

"No, you don't understand," Lyle disrupted. "I promised Mom I'd take care of Lilith and not let anything bad happen to her! I already failed her once when Sovereign took control of Lilith in the first place. I cannot fail her again! It could cost Lilith her life this time!" Davis and Ariyami listened to every word. Then they looked at each other and nodded.

"Then, Lyle," said Yolei, standing up and looking determined, "We won't let you down! We promise! All eight of us will go there and bring her back, stopping Sovereign along the way!"

"Uh," Ariyuki budded in, "Make that six." he counted everyone in the room; two people were missing. "Where's Ariyami and Davis?" 

Then they all heard a sound upstairs, and Davis cry "Digiport open!"

"Oh, those two," mumbled Kari, "They're always running in head first with no brain! Sometimes I just can't tell the two apart!"

"They must have gone through Lilith's computer," explained Cody. "We can't let them face Sovereign alone; they might get hurt."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After walking for two miles in the blazing desert sun, Lilith fell to her knees, hot, thirsty, and extremely weary. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Feeling hopeless and far too exhausted, Lilith collapsed altogether in the sand. Nekomata began to panic; Lilith had passed out and was more vulnerable than ever to the sun. "_Someone help us!_" she screamed.

"Whoa, did ya hear that?" remarked Neomon, his long ears pricked forward.

"Yeah, sounded like Shiromon!" Davis replied.

"Which way is it comin' from, Davis?" Demiveemon asked from the top of his partner's head.

"Uh, I dunno. Ariyami?" Davis turned to Ariyami, who was listening intently along with Neomon.

"I think it's coming from...that way!" Ariyami pointed slightly to the left.

They heard the crying again: "Please! Someone! This girl needs help!"

Hearing the last part, Ariyami and Davis bolted in the direction that Ariyami had pointed. Dashing to the top of a dune, the two Digidestined saw below them a white creature waving its paws around, and a figure laying on the ground next to it. Davis and Ariyami slid down the steep hill, Demiveemon almost being thrown off of Davis's head and Neomon in the same peril. The boys went to Lilith's aid; she was dehydrated and needed to get out of the sun-_fast!_ But there wasn't any shelter anywhere.

"Davis, I'll go and look for some water. You stay here and watch Lilith. Find something to block the sun with, alright?" Ariyami ordered.

"There's no way!" objected Davis. "I have a more accurate stomach. It could find water in a sand storm. _You _stay here and protect Lilith. Besides, your hair is so frizzy, you can use it for an umbrella." Davis, ignoring Ariyami's scowl, began to walk away, then remembered something. "Here," he took off his fire embedded jacket and threw it to Ariyami, "Use this to shade Lilith. I'll be back as soon as I can!" and with that, Davis ran recklessly through the desert, Demiveemon still riding on his head.

Ariyami stared after him. "I can't tell if he's being very heroic, or incredibly stupid." he held Davis's jacket over Lilith's head. 

"Do ya think he's gonna make it back in time?" Nekomata asked, her worried gaze piercing through Ariyami's mind.

"Yeah. I know he will. Davis may not be the smartest guy around, but when it comes to survival, he'd be the last one standing." Ariyami replied sincerely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hmm, now let's see. How do ya find water in a desert?" Davis and the newly digivolved Veemon were scavenging around, looking for anything that looked like it could be drank.

"Ugh, Davis. I'm getting tired and really thirsty too," Veemon whined, falling on his backside.

"What is this that I am hearing?! Two lazy trespassers who wander on _my _desert?!" boomed a voice from somewhere behind the two. They spun around and saw, staring up, a Tyrannomon gazing down at them. "Or, perhaps I'm staring at two fine young creatures who will join me for dinner!" he snatched Davis up and held him in his palm.

"Look, we didn't mean to trespass here! We're just looking for some water!" Davis shouted up at him, praying he wasn't about to be shoved in Tyrannomon's mouth. 

"I knew it! You're both after my mystic water! Are you workers for the Digimon Sovereign?!"

"No!" cried Davis, "We're the Digidestined! We're trying to stop the Sovereign, but right now, a friend of ours is dying and needs water! Please give us some!"

"I give water to no one! It belongs to me. If I give you some, you'll tell others and they'll come for some. Then they'll tell others and more will come! Which reminds me, you two can't leave here alive!" Tyrannomon snarled.

"This guy's got issues," murmured Davis to himself. "Alright then! If you won't help us, then we'll take some water by force! I don't normally steal from people, but one of my friends is in danger!" he aimed his digivice at Veemon. "Veemon, Digivolve!"

"Veemon, Digivolve to...Exveemon!" the gigantic blue Digimon flew under Tyrannomon's hand and Davis jumped out of it, and into Exveemon's arms.

"Let's try to outrun him!" Davis suggested.

"You got it!" Exveemon soared high into the air, making Davis's stomach churn. Then...

"_Fire Blast!_" Tyrannomon shot his attack right at Exveemon. He managed to dodge, but barely. Davis nearly caught fire. "You two won't escape from me!" he hollered at them.

"Watch us!" Davis retorted. He then whispered something in Exveemon's ear and he laughed.

"Let's see how this turns out!" Exveemon flew down to Tyrannomon, then under him, then around him in circles. In a frenzy to hit the flying pest, Tyrannomon became very dizzy and fell over, unable to see straight for a while. Exveemon landed and he and Davis both laughed; that is, until they felt the ground shake beneath them. They glanced behind themselves and gasped; Mammothmon-hundreds of them! It was a stampede of them.

Whenever a Mammothmon was in a stampede, they could crush an entire village and not care. Exveemon, carrying Davis, flew up into the air again to avoid the herd of Mammothmon. However Tyrannomon was still lying on the ground, able to see the herd, but too dizzy to get back up. "We've gotta do something!" Davis yelled.

"Leave it to me!" Exveemon powered up his attack and aimed a few feet in front of the Mammothmon. "Vee Laser!" his powerful beam, in the shape of an X, shot to the ground and exploded, creating a massive hole in the ground. The Mammothmon all turned around and, roaring like an elephant, took off in the other direction.

When it was safe to be back on the ground, Davis and Exveemon went to Tyrannomon to make sure he was okay. "You...you saved my life," he told them, his eyes on the ground. "I...I _guess _I judged you too soon. I'm sorry."

"That's not a problem," lied Davis. "Everything's okay."

"Well, still. I owe you. You said a friend of yours is dying of thirst, but I give you three bottles of my water. One for you both, and the other for your friend." Tyrannomon released three tiny blue bottles into Davis's hands. 

He almost instantly dropped them. They were freezing! "Man, these are cold!"

"I know. They are also magical. You could be damaged with an injured foot and drink this. It would heal it, but only slightly. It would take about a pitcher to completely heal a wound."

Davis pocketed the minute bottles of water. "Well, thanks, buddy!" and he and Veemon went on their way. About half way back, Davis's throat became extremely parched. He uncorked his bottle and drank the water. It slid down his throat like a smooth, thin cream, and yet was still water.

After draining the bottle, he could feel the entire fluid spread throughout his whole body, and he shivered, despite the desert heat. It was the most pleasant thing he had felt in a long time. He smiled and sighed. "You okay?" Veemon asked, staring up at his dreamy partner.

"Yeah," then Davis snapped himself back to reality. "Man, this stuff is good!" Just then, the ground shattered under his and Veemon's feet. They would have fallen to their doom if Davis hadn't grabbed the edge, Veemon grasping his waist. "Agh!" Davis screamed. "Your nails are digging into my skin!"

"Davis, make me Digivolve!" Veemon cried.

Davis wanted to, but to do so would require him to let one of his hands go. He didn't want to take the chance. "I can't!" Soon, however, Davis could feel his gloves slipping on the edge. "_Someone help!_" he finally cried. 

Then a hand came into Davis's view. "Here! Grab on!" he heard a familiar voice cry. He took hold and was instantly pulled up. He stared up at his saviors, which was the entire team of Digidestined, save for Ariyami and Lilith. "You alright?" Ken asked, helping Davis on his feet.

"We are now," replied Davis. "Thanks, guys."

"Yeah, well...we _knew _we'd find you getting yourselves into trouble," sneered Yolei.

Davis was about to retaliate in Yolei's challenge to a name-calling fight, but then remembered Lilith and the water he needed to give her. "Let's get goin' guys," he ordered. "I found some water and Lilith is in desperate need of some."

"Is she alright?" Ken asked while the others stared.

"Yeah, as long as she gets _this _water."

"We brought water too, ya know," said Yolei, following Davis while the others followed both of them.

Davis scoffed. "It isn't anything like _this _water," he extracted the tiny bottles.

"_That _puny thing is suppose to save Lilith's life? Get outta here!" now it was Yolei's turn to scoff.

"This water's magical, Yolei!" Davis retorted.

A shout from not too far off broke the argument. "Hey, guys! Over here! C'mon, hurry up!" Ariyami came into view, Lilith in his arms. He was running toward them.

"What're you doing here?" Davis asked in and exasperated tone. "You were supposed to wait back there!"

Ariyami shook his head. "Couldn't stand waiting anymore! Lilith _needs _water! _Right now!_" Ariyami soared the rest of the way to the group. 

"Here," Davis handed one of the tiny blue bottles to Ariyami. "Just give it to her!" Davis barked, noticing Ariyami's raised eyebrow at the bottle that fit between his thumb and index finger.

He placed the unconscious Lilith on the ground and opened the bottle. Lifting her head up, he poured the strange substance in her mouth. Although she couldn't swallow it because she was unconscious, the water seemed to find its way down her throat; she didn't even cough any of it up. She then shivered and her eyes drifted open.

"Ariyami? Where am I?"

"Still in the desert," he informed her, helping her on her feet.

Lilith sighed hopelessly. "I had hoped this was all just a very bad dream." then she felt Nekomata rub against her ankles. Although Nekomata was a Digimon, Lilith picked her up all the same and placed her on her shoulder; her favorite perch.

"Lilith, we really need to get you home," Ken told her.

"Yes. You need some rest, Lilith," Kari added.

"No," she told them sternly. "I'm not leaving until I find that talisman. I want Sovereign to leave me alone!"

"Lilith," said Ken kindly, "It's not going to be that easy. Beating the Darkness...You can't just go out and try to defeat it. Especially someone like Sovereign. She's too strong for you, Lilith. I thought I could stop an enemy of mine just like that, hoping I would be forgiven for my sins if I did. Doing that almost killed me and put many other kids in danger!"

"I don't care if it kills me. I don't wanna kill Sovereign. I just want her to go back to wherever she came from!" Lilith had bitterness on her face which didn't suit her.

"To do that, Lilith," Nekomata told her, "You'd need to stab her soul while it's out in the open without a human shell to seek refuge in."

"Then, lets get to it," Lilith ordered, striding forward. Then she looked back at the others. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

Davis cleared his throat. "Well, I came here to bring Lilith back home. I ain't leavin' until she does." he walked over to Lilith.

"I'm with Davis," Ariyami agreed, also going to the red head.

"I'm not the kind of person who leaves his friends to be alone," Ken announced, striding next to Lilith.

"I'm going with Ken!" Ariyuki cried, following him.

"Hey, don't even _think _about leaving me behind!" Yolei barked.

"This is an adventure and I'm sure not passing it up," Takaru assured.

"I'm coming along too," Kari agreed.

"And me!" Cody hollered.

_Wow, I'm really not alone,_ Lilith thought joyfully.

So, the group of nine Digidestined began their search of the Talisman of Power. It couldn't have been too hard to find; basically all precious items would be concealed in a cave, or hidden in something. At first, everything seemed just fine; Lilith was chatting with Cody; Kari, Takaru, and Davis were arguing about something, and Ken, Yolei, and the counterparts were all sharing their ideas about the talisman. Soon, however, Lilith began acting strangely; she staggered and held her head, complaining of dizziness.

"Can you see straight?" Ken asked, rushing to her.

"Just barely," she muttered.

"It could be this heat," Cody suggested. "It must be taking its toll on you again."

"No, I think I'm okay now," she admitted, squinting up at the sun. "I'm alright now, guys." Still eyeing Lilith apprehensively, the others continued their journey. It seemed Lilith was right; after that one dizziness attack, she seemed to be fine. A half hour later, Neomon, Nekomata, Midori, and Gatomon all pricked their ears forward.

"I hear something," Midori informed them. "It sounds like dripping water. Probably from a cave."

"Think that's where the talisman is?" Lilith asked.

"We could sure find out," Takaru answered. Thirty steps forward, they all saw that the cat Digimon were right; a small-looking cave laid before them. 

Ariyuki's digivice, instead of hum and vibrate, made a strange crystal sound. "I think something special's in there," he told them, taking his digivice out of his jacket pocket.

Just then, they all heard a roar. Gazing up, they all saw, much to their great surprise, a Blackwargreymon. It looked slightly different, though; mingled pieces of him were golden along with black. It seemed new and improved compared to the other Blackwargreymon. "Quick!" cried Ken, "Let's run into the cave and hide!"

However, before he could finish his suggestion, a red ball of energy flew up toward the strange Digimon, and it screamed in agony for only an instant before it disintegrated and was deleted right before their eyes. They turned to see who the spell caster was. It was Lilith; she lowered her arm and grinned. "I knew he'd get in the way sooner or later," she scorned.

"Oh, my God," Ariyami muttered.

"Lilith," Takaru began, "What'd you-"

"Get away from her!" Ariyuki shouted, trying his hardest to pull Takaru back, even though he was much bigger than him. "Don't touch her!"

"What are you doing, Ariyuki?" Yolei asked, alarmed.

"That's not Lilith!" Ariyami told them all, "Not anymore, anyway. Sovereign, what do you want?!"

"Oh, don't you know, my sweet Digi-fools? I just wanna have some fun, that's all," she replied innocently.

"Don't even try to act sweet with us!" Yolei shouted. "We know all about you and your treacherous plan!"

"Then you should know perfectly well to stay out of my way, unless you were hoping to end up in the Digital Graveyard," Sovereign sneered.

"We wouldn't leave you alone even if you didn't inhabit one of my friend's bodies!" Ken shouted.

"That's right. It's all about Lilith, isn't it? Your sweet and innocent little _girlfriend_." Sovereign taunted. "Well, I don't have time for this little game. I've got a Digital World to destroy. Now, out of my way before someone gets hurt. Namely _you_."

Ken stood in front of her. "I'm not moving."

The girl scowled. "I'm warning you, boy. _Move aside before I blast you to smithereens_!" Ken didn't budge, but instead, matched the Sovereign's cold gaze. "Fine. I'll move you the hard way." she snapped her fingers and two Digimon appeared out of thin air.

"Oh, great, beautiful Sovereign! What would you have us do?" the Elecmon asked, bowing deeply.

"Yes, our lives are at your disposal," the Mammothmon added.

"Take care of these insects. They are in my way," Sovereign ordered, pointing at them.

"She's gotta be kidding," Yolei laughed. "Elecmon's just a rookie level Digimon." She and Hawkmon got ready to defeat the charging Elecmon. But...

"Sparkling Thunder!" it cried, aiming a gigantic ball of lightning at Hawkmon. It hit him with a blast of electricity, and he was knocked unconscious. 

"Hawkmon!" Yolei cried, running to her Digimon's aid.

"Isn't this fun?" Sovereign asked, aiming her hand at Yolei and Hawkmon. A ball of purple light formed in her palm, the same kind of energy Ariyami used when attacking the carjacker.

"Ken!" Ariyami shouted. "She's getting ready to kill them! One hit with that energy ball and it's all over for them!"

Ken, thinking quick, charged forward and smashed into Sovereign, causing them both to fall to the ground. While everyone else was busy fighting the mutantly strong Digimon, Ken was wrestling with Sovereign, finally pinning her to the ground. "I'm really sorry, Lilith!" he said, raising his fist high to punch her.

However, Sovereign used her energy and sent him hurling backwards onto his back. She approached him, her face set. "You really have no idea what you're up against. You aren't dealing with your soft-hearted Lilith; you're dealing with a mage well over a hundred years old and full of dark magic. You cannot possibly stand a chance against me."

"Maybe not," Ken told her, "But Lilith's soul still exists inside, along with yours. She'll find a way to fight you."

"Please. Let's talk sense here, Kenny Boy. Lilith in an intermediate skilled mage, whereas I am an expert Spellcaster mage. She couldn't possibly possess the required skills of bringing me down. She might have been trained to be strong enough, if the Order of Mages hadn't banded Spellcasters. They figured mages that strong were far too dangerous. You've all lost against me. Admit it now, and I promise to let you all live, maybe even join me."

"Why would we ever want to join you?" Ken spat.

"Why?" Sovereign helped Ken to his feet, "Because this world is doomed anyway. I _will _get my hands on that talisman. It's gonna happen. If you join me, not only will you survive, but I'll grant you all powers beyond your wildest dreams," Sovereign's voice was persuasive. "Think about what's best for you, for your counterparts; hell, even your friends. Would you really wanna die to protect this God-forsaken world?"

"Even if I wanted to join you, what would you do after this world is gone and you have no one to hurt?" Ken stared at her with dislike.

"I'd find a world where I could exist and not be bothered or hurt anymore. Of course, if that world so chose to hurt me, I'd destroy it in an instant." Sovereign looked pleased with herself.

"Then, you might as well destroy everything," said Ken. "All worlds contain pain, Sovereign. Without pain, there is no healing and no getting stronger. That's just the way life is."

"How dare you call me wrong?!" Sovereign shrieked. "I'll make you pay for that! I'll make you all pay! Mammothmon! Kill him!" she pointed a finger right at Ken.

The roaring Digimon obeyed and charged right for him. Ken tried to make a run for it, but Sovereign conjured up vines from nowhere to hold Ken in place. He struggled hopelessly against the vines, only to find them getting tighter. Meanwhile, Sovereign was having an inner struggle of her own...

Deep inside the subconscious mind, Lilith and Sovereign were arguing, a mass of black were their surroundings. _Please, Sovereign! Don't do this! Ken's my very best friends! Please don't kill him!_

He's just a fool, and a weak one at that. He saw the path of power that laid before him, and he shoved it away. I offered him friendship, and he spit in my face. The hooded figure turned away from Lilith's pleading spirit.

_I won't let you hurt him! _Lilith screamed.

_Oh, and I suppose you think you've got a choice? He's going to die, because I want him to. There isn't anything you can possibly do. _The hooded girl sneered at Lilith.

_I can do plenty, Sovereign. You may be stronger than me, but it's my mind that you're inhabiting! _Lilith retorted.

_What's that suppose to mean?_

This! The spiritual Lilith conjured a bright ball of red light and hurled it at Sovereign.

_There's no way! Where did you get that kind of power?! _Sovereign shrieked, dodging Lilith's powerful energy.

_You forget, Sovereign, that this is my mind. Ken was right; I can stop you here. In my mind, I hold all the good cards in my hand. I can summon as much power as I like!_

You-you can't!

Watch me, Lilith smirked and snapped her fingers. A cage of energy appeared around Sovereign, imprisoning her. _This oughta hold you for a while. _Lilith told her. _Now, if you don't mind, I've got a friend to save. _And with that, Lilith took control of her mind again. 

Time hadn't moved, but Ken was still in peril. Lilith made the magical vines vanish (it was her magic that conjured it in the first place), and yanked Ken out of the way, just as Mammothmon reached him. With her remaining energy, Lilith made the mutant created Digimon disappear.

"Are you alright?" Lilith asked Ken, checking him.

"I'm fine. This is Lilith, right?" Ken asked, slightly alarmed.

"Yes, it's me," she replied.

"Guys, are you alright?" they heard Davis's voice call. The others ran to them, completely breathless from their little battle with the unnatural Digimon.

"We'll live," Ken told them simply. Then he stared at the cave; the place they had intended to go. "Let's get in there," he said. "Let's see if the talisman's really in there."

"I'm afraid that can't be done," hissed a voice behind them all. "William had arrived."

"Will? What're you doing here?" Lilith asked. Will didn't say anything, but grabbed her arm. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"This cave doesn't contain the Talisman of Power, but it _is _the ideal place to perform the ritual," William said.

"Ritual?" she asked.

"The Soul Binding Ritual. Sovereign will permanently take control of your body."

"Will! What're you doing?!" Ken demanded.

"Be careful!" Nekomata warned. "That isn't Will. It hasn't been Will for four years! That's Baron!"

"Perfectly said, you little traitor!" Baron bellowed. He began to drag Lilith toward the cave.

"Leave her alone!" Ken shouted, running toward them. Baron put up his hand and created a force field, knocking Ken backwards.

Then baron snapped his fingers and he and Lilith began to disappear. "Ken, help!" Lilith cried, before she and Baron were gone.

Everyone froze, until Ken smashed the ground with his fist. "Damn it!" he shouted, anger filling inside him. It was the most frustrating moment he had felt in a long time. He had to find Lilith and save her before the ritual was performed and he would lose her forever. He stared up at everyone, who seemed to be afraid to go near him.

Then, they all heard an "Ouch!" coming from behind them. Ariyuki had gone to inspect the cave entrance, but was now sucking on his index finger, as though he had hurt it.

"What's wrong?" Ken asked.

"There's something wrong with the entrance," he replied, taking his bleeding finger out of his mouth. "I went to see if I could go in and look for Lilith, but there's some sort of..._thing _blocking the way in. I hurt myself just touching it."

"A force field," Ariyami mused. "Baron doesn't want anyone getting in. He wants to make sure the ritual is completely done."

"Well, force field or not, I'm gettin' in there!" Davis shouted, dashing toward the cave entrance. 

"Davis, wait!" Yolei tried to get him to come back, but Davis was already there. He had almost made it in when..._Crash! _He collided into something and was send reeling back, holding his nose and cursing out of control.

"This force field is..._weird_," Ariyami told them. "I can see it's greenish aura. But, it's like it's there, then it's not. Then it's there, then it's not. It keeps disappearing, but for only a second. No one could be fast enough to get through it in time."

Ken sat down to think. This little momentary disappearance could be used to his advantage, but how? Then, replaying what Ariyami just said sparked his mind: _Time_. He could try using the little time control power that he had to stop the force field while it was gone. It was the best hope they had to go on.

"I've got an idea, guys," Ken told them all. He explained his plan to them, but then got to the downside. "If I do this, it can only be me that goes. I won't have enough power to hold it long enough for us all to get through. I guess it was meant to be this way."

"We gotcha, Ken," Davis announced. "You go and rescue your girlfriend! We'll all be rooting for ya!" he ignored Ken's scowl at the word "_Girlfriend_" and pat him on the back.

Ken turned and faced the invisible force field. He closed his eyes and concentrated his mind. It took him a while to find his light blue time power. It was very small, being the fact that he wasn't very experienced. He blocked out every sound that tried to enter his head and distract him.

The only thing he could hear was the slight humming in his mind; his power slowly making its way out. He pictured the force field in his mind, and saw his magic reaching out to it and constricting it, stopping it in its tracks. Now was the time to run while his magic held the force field in place. He ran straight into the cave with nothing to throw him back; it worked! Even though his magic didn't require a chant, when he was far enough in the cave, he ended his spell by bringing it in and muttering "So mote it be."

Now his journey would begin; his journey to test his mind, courage, and power. Though he had to go alone into the darkness, he wasn't afraid. He still felt a strong, friendly presence around him. Could it be the hopes and trust of his friends?


	13. Ch13: Unexpected Aid

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Sovereign, Baron, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata (more to come in future chapters). You all know what's coming; I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. 

Chapter Thirteen:

Unexpected Aid

Ken ventured boldly into the cave, unknowing what awaited him, but uncaring as well. His main priorities were to get Lilith out and to stay alive. Although Ken knew he was alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him; he'd always had this feeling when he was alone in dark and cold places, but this time it was stronger than ever. He even began to check behind himself every once in a while to make sure no one was following him.

The tunnel through the cave was longer than he thought. Soon it went so deep that the light from outside had gone, and he was left in total darkness. After bumping his head into walls that seemed to jump out at him, Ken was forced to put his arms in front of himself to guide him, though he was sure he looked something like a zombie, walking blindly with his arms outstretched. Soon, however, his hands came upon what seemed like a dead end. However, the feel of the wall was like metal; he must have reached an electronic door.

_Well, open it, you idiot, _hissed a nasty voice in his mind, which Ken figured was his determined side wanting to rescue Lilith. He put his hand on something which must have been a hand reader, because when he did, the doors slid right open. Ken was highly relieved to meet light once more, even if it was dim.

Ken stared all throughout the room, hoping to get a glimpse of Lilith. Sure enough, in the far left corner, he spotted her. She was sitting on the floor, her head to her knees and her arms wrapped around them. Ken walked over to her and found that she had chains and shackles on her ankles and wrists; Her hands were cringing. "Lilith?" he asked uncertainly.

She snapped her head up at him, tears streaming down her face and onto the floor. She smiled at the sight of him and made a futile effort to stand up. "When I heard your footsteps, I thought you were Baron coming back again," she told him, her voice hoarse and weary. 

"What happened to you?" Ken asked her, checking her weak body.

"Baron did something to me that he called "Soul Extraction". I'm not quite sure, but he put his hands on my head and I could feel him searching inside my mind. It hurt so much that I passed out." Lilith touched her head, then stared back up at Ken.

"Well, let's get you outta here, huh?" said Ken, pulling a small lock pick out of his pocket and working on the chains around Lilith's wrists.

She felt his hands. "You're warm," she said absently. Ken put his hands to her face; she was stone cold. He needed to get her out of there and fast. 

After releasing her wrists, he started on her ankles. "Listen, we'll have to worry about Sovereign another day, Lilith. For now, we're just gonna get you home," he told her, helping her to her feet after breaking the last lock.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," drawled a voice from behind them. Baron had shown up, holding a bronze sword in his hands. It had various designs on it and seemed to be used for important things. Ken gulped at the sight of it. "Oh, this thing? It's used for rituals and ceremonies." he informed them, giving his sword a small swing. "You're welcome to stay and watch if you wish, Ichijouji. Sovereign would much enjoy you to witness losing your friend."

Ken made sure Lilith was behind him. "Sovereign can't have her!"

"And I suppose _you're _going to stop us?" another voice came from nowhere. Then, a young transparent girl stepped out of the shadows. She looked about Ken's age with long blond hair and violet eyes.

Ken knew immediately who this was. "You're Sovereign, aren't you?"

"Yes. Well, the spirit of Sovereign, anyway," she grinned at Ken's stupefied face. "I had Baron take my soul out of Lilith's body so this ritual can be performed right. Ken, if you just give me Lilith, no harm will come to you. I really think you'll agree that one girl isn't worth your life."

Ken glanced back at Lilith. "You're right," he said. "One girl isn't worth my life." he pushed Lilith in front of him. Sovereign and Baron grinned, and Baron stepped for to grab Lilith's arm. "But," Ken interrupted, "A friend is!" he dashed forth and punched Baron with an extreme amount of force. He was sent flying backwards and right against the wall. William's body fell to the floor, along with a transparent man, who seemed to spill out of him.

"Baron, are you alright?" Sovereign asked, staring at the see-through man standing up.

"Just fine," he told her, "But I was knocked out of my host."

"Well, don't worry about it-" Sovereign began, but at that moment Baron's sword flew out of nowhere and ran Baron's soul through the chest. "_Baron!_" Sovereign shrieked. Baron stared in shock, then he screamed in agony and disappeared. 

Enraged, Sovereign turned to see who the murderer was. Her eyes landed on Ken, who was panting as though he had thrown something with force. It was him. "You..." she charged right for him, but Ken dodged, knowing full well that if she touched him, she'd get a chance to inhabit his body.

"Lilith, run for the door!" Ken commanded. Lilith made to obey, but she was still too weak. She fell to her knees. Ken tried to run to her aid, but Sovereign reached her first. Grinning, she touched Lilith's head, then vanished. After a silent moment, Lilith stood up, looking healthier than ever; Sovereign had taken control of her again. 

"I'll make you pay for what you've done," she snarled at Ken, approaching him slowly. "Baron was my best friend. Now I'll make sure that you feel the same pain that I'm feeling!" she waved her hand quickly, and a strange misty cloud of darkness slowly began to fill the room.

"What's going on?" Ken asked, unable to hide the alarm and panic in his voice.

"This cloud empowers the ones of darkness and weakens, if not destroys the ones of light. That would namely be you, now wouldn't it?" Sovereign explained, smirking in an unmistakable air of triumph. Ken watched as the darkness surrounded Lilith's body. When it vanished, Sovereign was draped in her original black cloak, along with the rest of her garments.

Ken saw the cloud engulfing him quickly as well. He struggled, trying with all his might to escape from the cloud, but it was too late. It swallowed him; it engulfed him. He could hear Sovereign's cold laugh as he disappeared from her view. Expecting himself to feel extreme pain, he was shocked to feel that his body was experiencing a strange tingling sensation.

Soon, the cloud began to disperse, and he could see Sovereign clearly. Her expression toward him was both stupefied and confused. "How the hell did you survive?" was the first thing she said. Then Ken saw her eyes rove from his head down to his toes. He then gazed down at himself...and jumped back. 

He recognized the blue and white fabric, the black gloves, and the strange cape. He then reached up and felt his hair; it was spiked. He was back in his Digimon Kaiser clothing. _What's going on? _Ken asked himself. _This can't be right. I'm not of Darkness anymore!_

"It seems you're not as alone as I thought. Oh, well. No matter," Sovereign concentrated her energy and formed a blue beam sword. "Boy, defend yourself!" she dashed toward him, her beam sword raised and ready to kill. Ken managed to jump out of the way just as Sovereign's sword made contact with the ground where his body once was, shattering the stone floor.

"What do I do?" Ken asked himself out loud, dodging Sovereign's thrusts to his torso, getting his cape torn apart in the process.

_It's obvious, isn't it? _the same voice hissed impatiently in his head. _When she comes again and thrusts down on your body, you dodge under, then come back up with an uppercut punch! Here she comes! Hurry up!_ The mysterious voice began instructing Ken on what to do. With its guidance, he managed to perform the seemingly impossible move; he seemed to know just what Sovereign was going to do. When she came down with her sword, Ken ran forth, ducked under the sword, then came back up and nailed her in the chin.

_Not bad...for a softy, _the voice said.

"Look, who are you?" Ken asked aloud, making Sovereign stare.

Look, _I don't have time for this! Just finish her off already! You're the slowest boy I've ever seen, even when you had my guidance a long time ago! _The voice was complaining about him now.

Ken felt enraged. "What're you talking about!?"

_Here she comes, _the voice simply replied. Sure enough, when Ken brought his attention back to Sovereign, she charged him, taking him by total surprise. He watched as time seemed to stop while her beam sword came closer to his face. Ken threw his arms up in hope that _something _would happen. 

_Someone help! _he screamed in his mind. Then, a black form of energy flashed all around, then Ken's world went black.

_Ken...Ken, dear. Open your eyes, _a voice called out. Ken's eyes fluttered open, but the sight that lay before him made them stare in shock.

He was surrounded by what seemed like nothingness; black surrounded him, but he found himself standing on water, little fish swimming about underneath his feet. Where was he? Gazing at his surroundings, he found gentle falling waterfalls that seem to come from the Heavens themselves. Looking down at himself, he also realized that he was back in his original school uniform. After sighing in relief and staring around at the beautiful sight, Ken gazed ahead and before him. A person was laying on the ground, seemingly dead or unconscious.

Standing over the body was a very tall, very beautiful woman. Her violet hair touched the ground and she had pale skin and gentle blue eyes. Her ears were pointed like a fairy or an elf. "Hello, Ken," she said, her pure voice ringing.

"H-hello," Ken stammered. "Uh, who are you, and what am I doing here? Last I checked, I was about to have my head sliced off."

"Yes," she replied. "I managed to save you and pull you into this realm, but only for a short while. I have done the same for little Ariyuki many times, offering help whenever I can."

"So, so you must be...Kii, right?"

"Precisely. I am the guardian of this realm, of Ariyuki, and of the Guardian of Kindness," she noticed Ken's perplexed face and explained. "Every Digidestined who protects one of the many virtues has a guardian to watch over them and their crests. I, Ken Ichijouji, am yours. My reason for being is to watch over you and your virtue of Kindness.

"When the dark spore was implanted inside you, I knew things would begin to take a turn for the worst. However, I still lingered in hope that you would be able to conquer the darkness inside the spore, but you were too full of despair and sorrow over the loss of your brother, that it overwhelmed you in a matter of years. When the Dark Ocean called you and you created the Black Digivice, I had no choice but to follow out with my plan; I took a single hair from you when you were sleeping, and from it, I gave birth to the little one I christened Ariyuki. He was nothing more or less than the kind and innocent side of you, the purest child in the world.

"Needless to say, the other guardians who watch over your friends were in a frantic, for I had upset the balance of the virtues. There were now two keepers of the Kindness Crest, or so it seemed. They were close to destroying him, although he was only an infant. Azulongmon saved him though; he said that if I swore to keep him under my watch, and treat him like a child of my own, he could stay and live. I kept to my promise as best as I could, but one day, a mysterious man somehow entered this realm and took him.

"I do not know why or how, but this man had great powers. I still remember his wicked features; long dark hair and a dark overcoat. This man had a great mind, for he created a magical machine that forced Ariyuki to age precisely ten years. He meant, of course for the little one to mature to your age, Ken Ichijouji, for he wanted to try to create another Digimon Kaiser."

Kii began to pace back and forth, continuing with her explanation. "However, being the fact that Ariyuki was born from myself and had extraordinary magical powers, he broke free of the device with his magic and tried to escape. This man, however, recaptured him and, thinking his experiment was derelict, he simply implanted the parasite known as the dark spore inside him, and threw him out of this realm where he lived, causing Ariyuki to lose his memory. He didn't count on Ariyuki to live, however, or to find a portal that lead to the Real World. I was thinking about heading to the Real World myself to retrieve him, but I was forbidden, and you found him anyway; I knew his was in good hands."

"I don't get it," Ken said for the first time in minutes. "How come you never told Ariyuki about this?"

"Ken, if I had told him that I was his mother, don't you think he would depend on me far more than he should? He'd also demand to stay with me instead of you. He needs to stay with you and your family, and to learn about life, pain, healing, and friendship. He'd never learn that from me."

Ken then gazed down at the body in front of him. "Who's that?" he asked.

"This, Ken, is the reason you're still alive," she replied, lifting the body up, which turned out to be a boy. "His name-well, it will shock you, but his name is Kaiser."

Ken felt as though his body had received a huge electrical shock. "W-what? His name is Kaiser? But isn't that-"

"Yes, Ken, it is what you called yourself when you tried to conquer the Digital World. He is a person that has somehow created himself inside your mind, from your dark spore when it was strong and alive. He is the person who would talk to you when you felt you didn't know what to do, although you thought it was merely yourself. Take the battles against the Digidestined, for example; you got yourself into many a fix with them.

"When you found yourself cornered and asked yourself what to do, he would respond, giving you instructions on how to escape. And, sadly, he is also the person who told you to create the dark rings and how."

Ken stared at the boy whose hair was jet black and spiked, not frizzy. He didn't wear sunglasses like Ariyami, but instead wore square spectacles. "Is he dead?" Ken asked with an air of hope.

"No," she said, smiling. "He is simply worn out."

Ken frowned in disappointment. "Why couldn't he have? He's-he's..." he couldn't even finish, he was so angry. "He's the cause for the many Digimon that I enslaved! I'm sure he's also the reason I almost killed the Digidestined!"

"_No, Ken!_" Kii bellowed strongly. "I am sorry to say that it is also your fault! You didn't bother to disagree or fight back with him! You simply took it in with glee!" her voice and expression softened when she had finished.

"I know that," Ken said, still slightly afraid of Kii's wrath, "but, why did he create himself? Why did he do all the things he did?"

"That is something I do not know. Why don't you ask him when he's awake?" Kii smiled down at Kaiser in her arms. Ken didn't understand it; she was treating him as though he were some sort of kind little angel.

"Why should I talk to him?" Ken asked, still angry at Kaiser.

"Because you owe it to him."

"Why?"

"He saved your life, Ken!" she shouted. "He used his spirit's energy to deflect Sovereign's fatal attack! You should feel grateful that his soul's even alive!"

"What?" said Ken. "He _saved _me?"

"Yes. So please, Ken, give him a chance. Just talk to him," Kii pleaded. Ken struggled with himself, but agreed. "The bonds holding you to this realm and away from Sovereign are weakening. I can only allow you ten minutes to talk."

"Alright," Ken replied.

"I'll need to heal his soul first. He's extremely weary." Kii placed young Kaiser on the ground and got into the familiar healing position that Ariyuki and Lilith would do. Ken watched as a small white light formed, then grew larger, and larger. Suddenly, it took him by surprise and blinded him; he was forced to shield his eyes.

When he thought it was safe to look again, he lowered his arms and stared around. It was black again, and Kii had gone. Ken was confused; what happened? "Kii's not here. She decided to give us some time alone," said a voice to the right of him. 

Ken spun around and came face to face with Kaiser. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"I wouldn't call this a _pleasant_ conversation, now is it?" Kaiser paced back and forth, staring at Ken with an all too familiar look of smugness. "I say we get goin' and fight Sovereign."

"Not until I get some answers from you!" Ken retorted. "Like, why did you tell me to do all those things when I was...Kaiser, and why did you just disappear after I turned away from the darkness."

"Those are both easy questions. I figured you'd be turning this into a trivia or something, Kenny Boy. Alright; I wanted to conquer the Digital World because you did. I spawned from your mind, your wishes, your hopes, and your hatred; especially your hatred.

"As for why I disappeared, when you realized everything you were doing was real, and that Digimon were real, you closed your mind to darkness, or at least tried. You sealed me along with it. I was all alone in the back of your mind; it was always dark, and cold; frightening even. For months I was locked away; you'd never let me out. And I didn't like it one bit," Kaiser was now glaring at Ken is dislike. 

"What are you doing here now?" Ken asked, the questions continuing to flow from his mouth.

Kaiser sighed. "Are you serious? Alright...This cave that Sovereign was going to use for the ritual was full of-how can I say it-spirit magic. It was everywhere. It immediately released me from the chains and locked doors in the depths of your mind; I couldn't believe how naive those other Digidestined had made you. You had practically lost all of the genius that the dark spore and I had given you."

"You shut up about my friends!" Ken snapped.

Kaiser seated himself in mid-air. "I'm only telling the facts, Ken. They _are _rather idiotic, all of them. They don't have a clue what's going on especially with the magic you and Lilith possess. I know what'll happen in the future, Ken. Stopping Sovereign isn't gonna stop the Darkness; something else is coming; something stronger, magical, and more dangerous than you can ever imagine."

"Enough!" Ken bellowed. "I don't wanna hear anymore about this! I just want you back where you came from!"

"I am _never _going back where you locked me! You put me through Hell, Ken Ichijouji!" Kaiser advanced on him. "If we're gonna stop Sovereign, we have to work together; cooperate!" Ken's worried face made him even more angry. "Clue in, boy; unless you like being torn apart and having Kii and I save your ass at the last minute!"

Ken sighed. "Alright; I'll let you stay in my mind and coach me if you want, but you better not betray me _or _my friends! I'm only giving you one chance, Kaiser!" just then, all around them began to deteriorate. They were going back to the Digital World's realm.

"That's all I ask for...Ken." then Kaiser disappeared. In a strange whirl of dizziness, Ken found himself back in the cave. Sovereign was in front of him, looking impatient.

"Finally!" she bellowed. "Where'd you go, anyway?! I was so bored without anything to slice!"

"Sovereign, you're not gonna slice anyone!" Ken retorted, pointing at her. "I'm gonna rescue my friend and send you to meet Baron! I hope you're ready!" while he was making threats, he listened to Kaiser's advice.

_Alright, you got her attention, now create a beam sword. At least then you'll stand a fighting chance._

Ken looked frightened. "Uh, Kaiser? I don't have the ability to create a beam sword."

_What?! What kind of magic do you have, then?!_

"The ability to manipulate time."

_Then how the hell do you expect me to help you?! You might as well give Sovereign your dislocated head now!_

"Are you gonna help me or not?!" Ken and Kaiser were fighting with each other while Sovereign stared, a confused expression on her comically sweating face.

Finally Sovereign snapped out of it. "Heads up Ken and whoever he's talking to!" Sovereign created a violet ball of energy and hurled it at Ken.

_Look out! _Ken obeyed Kaiser and tumbled out of the way. Hiding behind a large boulder, Ken and Kaiser began planning what to do next. _Ken, it's obvious that you can't handle this. Why don't you give me a body of my own? If you just give me permission in your mind, I could-_

"There's no way," Ken whispered. "I may be working with you, but I'm not on trusting terms with you yet."

_Then why don't you lend me _your _body? I could stop Sovereign in her tracks. She won't even know what hit her!_

"No," Ken replied, checking behind the boulder, and gulping when he saw Sovereign slowly advance. "I don't even know what you'll do when you have control of me. You might not even give me my body back!"

_Listen, Ken, it's not gonna be like you won't know what I'm doing. Your soul will be watching from your mind, kinda like I am now,_ _and I'll be on the battle field, kicking Sovereign's ass._

Ken hesitated. He couldn't trust Kaiser; why, for all he knew Kaiser would join Sovereign's side. He couldn't let that happen. Just then, the boulder he was seeking refuge behind shattered as Sovereign struck it with her blue beam sword. Getting struck in the face by one of the rock fragments, Ken fell backward.

Sovereign laughed as she drew closer, watching Ken wipe away the blood slowly flowing from his lip. "Just kill me, Sovereign," he told her.

"Why, where would the fun be in that?" she asked haughtily, kneeling down and grabbing his indigo hair, drawing him close. She then leaned in, "I'm gonna finish you nice, and slow," she whispered in his ear. Then she punched him hard in the stomach and let him fall to the ground.

Ken wheezed and gasped for breath, his wide open in shock. He felt like something had crushed inside him. The last thing he saw before being kicked hard in the face and being smashed against the wall was Sovereign smiling smugly at him. Ken was now on his back, staring at an upside-down Sovereign; he watched as she formed a beam sword and began to slowly walk toward him.

_C'mon, Ken, get up! _Kaiser cried desperately in Ken's mind. _You gotta get up before Sovereign makes a Ken-cabob outta ya!_

"I can't move," Ken was barely able to whisper.

"Talking to you imaginary friend, Ken?" Sovereign asked, still a long way away, but drawing closer still.

_You gotta move! If you die here, all hope for retrieving Lilith is gone! You're the only one who can fight now, Ken! So c'mon already! Get up!_

"Spirit," Ken murmured to Kaiser. "How much magic do you have?"

_What kind of question is that?!_

"Answer."

_Alright. I've got a lot. Probably as much as Sovereign, but I'm not sure. Look, if you're thinkin' about borrowing my magic, you can't. It won't work. Ken? Are you alright? Your spirit's gettin' weaker. Ken?!_

"Kaiser, you've gotta help my friend. Please," at that moment, Ken passed out and felt himself withdraw into his mind. Kaiser panicked as he held Ken's spirit in his arms.

"Ken! Ken! Wake up!" he shook him, but he refused to stir. "Damnit!" he stared, and through Ken's mind he saw Sovereign drawing closer, glee on her face. "I guess it's up to me then." Kaiser closed his eyes and a dark, murky energy surrounded him and Ken's spirit."Soul..._Release me!_"

Sovereign laughed as she stood over Ken's still figure. "Maybe I won't have to finish him. Looks like he finished himself." she turned and began to walk away, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a noise behind her; a grunting and an effort to stand up. She whipped around and saw Ken on his feet, though he seemed..._different_. His eyes appeared colder and more uncaring than usual. "Look, I don't know if you've got nine lives or what, but this time, when I kill you, you're gonna stay dead!"

"I'm not the one who's gonna die today, Sovereign. It's you!" Now things were definitely weird. That didn't sound like Ken's kind and shy voice, but rather proud and smug, as though he was sure he was right.

"You're not Ken, are you?" she assumed, pointing at him with suspicion.

"You win the grand prize, Sovereign," he taunted. He then closed his eyes and concentrated his energy on his hands. Just as a purple light began to shine, he quickly forced it to take shape into a beam sword. "This oughta even the odds," he added.

With a yell, Sovereign charged the boy, Kaiser, who quickly parried her thrust. He in turn made a vicious uppercut, barely missing her body.

_Please, Kaiser! Be careful! _Kaiser heard a voice cry.

"Ken? Is that you?"

_Yes._

"Are you alright?" Kaiser asked.

_I'm fine, though I must admit this is the strangest thing I've ever felt. I'm watching my body move while I'm not controlling it._

"Well, just sit tight, buddy. I'm gonna finish her here and now."

_Be careful, though, Kaiser. Don't forget, Lilith is also within that body, not just Sovereign. I'm asking you to find a way to capture her._

"Capture that thing? I'll try, but I can't give ya any promises," Kaiser replied. He turned back to Sovereign. "Alright, girlie. Let's end this now!" he formed a blue ball of bright light in his hand and hurled it at Sovereign. Seeing it coming, she barely managed to dodge just as it transformed into a net. Kaiser snapped his fingers in frustration. "Missed!"

Before he could regain his composure, Sovereign darted forth and slashed his chest, leaving only a minor cut, but hurting badly. However, Kaiser, filled with rage, took his beam sword and slit Sovereign's thigh; another scar for Lilith. She leapt backward and staggered, clutching her hip as blood soaked through her black pants. Kaiser slid in and out of focus to her eyes. She fell to her knees and knew she would pass out soon if she didn't do something, leaving her vulnerable to Ken and Kaiser.

"Hey, Ken, I think she's gonna faint," Kaiser told Ken.

_Seize this opportunity! Capture her now! _Ken instructed.

"You got it," Kaiser grinned as he stood over Sovereign. "C'mon, now," he bent down and tried to grab her arm, but at that moment, she leapt up, her silver rapier in her hands. Kaiser had to do a quick back flip to avoid being slashed.

_No! It's that sword again! It has some sort of magic power! Kaiser, don't take her lightly while she has that blade in her hand! _Ken cautioned.

"Alright. I'll keep myself on my toes," Kaiser replied, "And Ken...Thanks for trusting me. This really means a lot."

_Don't mention it. Now get in there and fight! _

Kaiser obeyed and got back into a fighting position. "You may think you're all that with that little knife of yours, girlie, but it won't help ya much."

"You act so assuming. You Digidestined...You always think you've got the bad guy beaten, when they've really only begun to fight," Sovereign grinned and held her sword high into the air. "This weapon not only makes me a more powerful fighter, but can empower me with immense strength beyond anything any human has ever known. I've never called upon this power...until now."

Kaiser looked worried. Whatever she was talking about, it didn't sound good. "Ken, I'd hold on if I were you."

Both Ken and Kaiser could feel the dark, cold energy that filled the room. It was so cold that it chilled the bone marrow. It surrounded and engulfed Sovereign and Lilith's body. When the dark mist was gone, someone else was in place of Lilith's body. A tall woman draped in black. 

Her entire body way dark and her facial features were hard to make out. Her hair was deep red and her eyes were harsh and cruel-looking. _Lilith, _Ken muttered, _No. What has Sovereign done to her?!_

"I dunno, Ken, but this _thing _won't be around for long. That's not even Lilith anymore and I'm gonna do it in!" Kaiser charged, bellowing a war cry, his beam sword raised and ready to destroy.

_Kaiser, stop! _Ken cried. Kaiser felt his entire body freeze, even though Ken had no control over him. It was like his feelings wouldn't let him kill her.

"Damn Ken and his feelings," muttered Kaiser.

"Even when Lilith doesn't look like her young, innocent self, you still can't seem to hurt her, isn't that right, Ken?" the woman's harsh voice rang out.

_Don't listen to her, Kaiser, _Ken warned. _She's just trying to egg you on to attack her._

"Ken, what do we do? If I don't do something, Sovereign's gonna kill us both!" Kaiser pointed out.

Ken thought deeply to himself. He had to think of something, _anything! _If only there was a way to just suck Sovereign out of Lilith's body like an exorcism. Then, something from not too long ago ran across Ken's mind...

_It was back when Ken and Ariyuki were at Lilith's house to learn the basics of magic. Lilith had first presented them with the holiday plant called mistletoe. "...You can use it to banish spirits in a house, and I _only _recommend it on a house. You can use it on possessed people, but it puts their very soul in peril, because mistletoe is an intense plant filled with energy..."_

That was it! This mistletoe! _Kaiser, dig around in my pockets! There should be a green plant in one of them._

Kaiser was puzzled, but agreed after he sought refuge behind another boulder. "I found it! Looks like mistletoe," then he understood. "Ken, we can't use this on Lilith. It could banish her soul along with Sovereign's!"

_I know, but it's the only idea we've got, and she'd rather have that happen than be enslaved by a vengeful soul! Use it, Kaiser!_

Kaiser hesitated, but agreed. He leapt out from behind the boulder. "Hey, Sovereign!"

"What?!" she asked angrily, charging up her purple ball of energy.

"Catch!" and with that, the mistletoe shone a bright white and Kaiser chucked the bright plant up at Sovereign. When it made contact, it shot right through her. She screamed in agony and pain, writhing in the air. Then, the darkness all around seemed to vanish, and Lilith's body began plummeting to the ground, in mid fall, her body transformed back to her child form.

Kaiser ran up to her and caught her body just before it hit the floor. As Lilith's body was eased to the floor, Kaiser switched souls back with Ken, so that he could be with Lilith. "Lilith," Ken whispered. "Please don't be gone. Please." She didn't move; she didn't stir. Silence filled the air, hardly any breathing was coming from Ken. "_Please!_" Ken begged again. "If you live, I promise I'll never let you get hurt again! Ever! Come on, Lilith, please!" 

Then, he recalled back when he was just cured from being the Kaiser, when his best friend, Wormmon had sacrificed himself to help Magnamon destroy Kimeramon. He remembered holding Wormmon in his arms the same way he was holding Lilith. The instant he disappeared was like the instant when Sam had died. He didn't want to lose a third person in his life. And if Lilith died, she'd die forever.

Tears built up in Ken's eyes and he buried his face in Lilith's chest. Then, he felt something; a heartbeat. Ken pulled away and stared at Lilith. She wasn't dead; her soul was still there! Then, her eyes slowly opened; she stared at Ken, then at her surroundings.

Then her whole body shuddered and she started to cry. Ken held her close, tears of gratitude sliding down his cheeks. "Lilith, are you alright?" Ken asked.

"It's all my fault," she whispered, unable to control her crying. "What happened to those Digimon, it was my fault!"

"Oh, no, Lilith. It wasn't your fault. It was Sovereign's fault. You know that," he then picked her up. "C'mon. Let's get you home. You need to rest."

As Ken carried Lilith's light and weak body, he heard Lilith mutter something in her sleep: "My fault." 


	14. Ch14: Recovery

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Sovereign, Baron, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata (more to come in future chapters) I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents.

Chapter fourteen:

Recovery

__

Born from Darkness, in the Light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight,

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night

It was the very next day, and Ken and Lyle sat on the couch in the living room in Lyle's house, the newly recovered William sitting with them, all waiting for Lilith to come downstairs. Ever since she fell asleep in the cave, Lilith hadn't stirred ever since, though they knew she was alive. Every once in a while, different mages who had psychic powers and knew Lilith and Lyle as good friends would come over to visit them and give them their best wishes. It was strange being with the actual William Knightsphere. He was far more gentle and kind, had a lot of concern for Lilith, and when he woke up and found out what happened, he was almost in tears.

"I can't take it anymore!" he finally said, standing up. "I have to go wake her up!"

"No!" interjected Ken, also standing up, "We have to let her rest. I've...I had to go through the same thing when...when I changed."

William sat back down, but reluctantly. "I still can't believe I did the things I did. These...creatures you call Digimon. Did I really hurt them?"

"It wasn't you, William. It was that other spirit, Baron," Ken informed him.

"I just-why did all this have to happen to me, to Lilith? None of this would have happened if that _damn _monster hadn't killed her mother and father. And my parents..."

"How come she _has _to sleep?" Lyle asked.

Ken bowed his head. "Just think, Lyle. Lilith had Sovereign's soul inside her for four years. She's only had half control of herself for four years. She needs to find who she is. Otherwise, terrible things might happen." 

"Ken, you don't have to stay here if you don't want to. You can go home," Lyle told him kindly.

"I know, but I'm not gonna leave Lilith. Not until I'm sure she's alright," Ken replied truthfully. He then turned to William. "What was it like being under Baron's control?"

"Weird," he said, staring at the ground. "At times I could see what I was doing, but couldn't control myself. Then, there were some times when I felt like I didn't even exist. It was so strange."

Lyle nodded his head and stood up. "Well, I'm glad you're back to normal now. It's good to have the real Will with us." Then he strolled into the kitchen. "I hope you like lemonade, Ken, 'cause that's all I've got right now, save for water."

"That'll do. Anyway," Ken turned back to William, "Did you ever have partial control of yourself like Lilith?"

Will shook his head. "Nope. Never. There were times I just wished everything was a bad dream, but it wasn't." Lyle reentered the living room with a tray of four cups of lemonade, one for Lilith in case she came down. 

Taking a sip, Lyle stared in the direction of the staircase. "I wonder what she's dreaming about right now. I wonder if she's okay."

"She's probably recalling everything that happened when Sovereign had control of her," Ken told him. "I had nightmares of all the bad things I did when Iwas Kaiser, too. Not to mention, I remembered my times with Osamu and when he died."

"A common consequence when undergoing a healing process of the mind, mainly after a recent loss," informed a slightly British voice. A young man stepped into the living room, wearing a white shirt and tan khakis, but draped over them was a long green robe. His short and untidy hair was dark brown and his eyes were, strange as it was, lavender shaded.

Ken was just about to inquire who this man was, when Lyle stood up and hugged the man enthusiastically. "Bracken! What a wonderful surprise!"

"Lyle, haven't seen you in three years! You haven't changed a bit. Still a detective?" the man, Bracken asked.

"Of course, Bracken. You know how much Lyle loves helping out the humans," sounded another man. This one was blond with, _very _strange as it was, a light crimson shade in his eyes and small round glasses.

"My God, Fennel! Is that you?" Lyle also hugged this young man. "What happened to your hair?"

"Einstein over here"-Fennel tilted his head toward Bracken,-"knocked a bottle of growth tonic on it when I was asleep at my studies." he flicked a couple strands of his long bangs out of his eyes. Ken looked behind the man and noticed that his hair nearly touched the ground and was tied, but, due to his manly features, no one could mistake him for a girl.

"You fell asleep _again_, Fennel?" Lyle looked shocked.

"Yes," he replied. "I was conducting a study on the rose. They're rumored to help induce powers of divination." he looked over Lyle's shoulders and spotted Ken. "Good Lord! Is that who I think it is?!" he nearly ran to Ken, which alarmed him greatly. He studied Ken from his hair to his eyes. "Why, he looks like Kenshi, doesn't he?"

"Who?" Ken asked.

"Kenshi," repeated Bracken, "He's a mage from about a thousand years ago. Powerful lad, he was. Most mischievous, too," Bracken laughed. "Oh, he would always pal around with his friends and pull pranks. He made a powerful friend, but would not tolerate his pals getting hurt. He was a master at psychic powers; he could lift thirty cows into the air with his mind without breakin' a sweat."

"This guy sounds cool," said Ken, very interested. "You keep saying "was". Did something happen to him?"

"Oh, aye," Bracken replied, bowing his head and looking saddened. "He died young about seven hundred years ago."

"Mage hunters," said Fennel, looking angry. "Those damn humans back then; they positively feared us. See, boy, mages live to be very old, and they age slowly. Why, two hundred years for a person was more like twenty years to a mage. That's how old Kenshi was when he died, when he was murdered. Two hundred."

"How did-how did he die?" Ken asked, not taking Lilith off his mind, but being very occupied with Fennel's story.

"See, Kenshi, like a few other mages, wanted to live in the mortal realm. He fell in love with a mortal woman. Mages who live in the mortal realm normally live in clans to avoid being attacked. Well, one day, his clan was invaded by mage hunters; they're like bounty hunters; they kill mages and bring their heads back to mortal police for a nice fee."

"Kenshi defended his clan with his psychic powers, but was struck down with an arrow," Bracken continued for Fennel, "Even so, he still had the power to run and escape like many of the other mages, but his wife was kidnapped by one of the mage hunters. He risked everything to get her back. He managed to save her life, but he himself was brought down by a wave of arrows. He didn't make it." 

Ken had his jaw wide open by the time the story came to a close. Then, all of the sudden, the entire house was suddenly engulfed in a wave of hot energy. It was very uncomfortable and hard to breath. "What's going on?" Ken asked. Then, the room became icy cold.

"It's Lilith!" Lyle informed them all. "She's always had a way with the elements! Let's check it out!" All five of them dashed upstairs. Lyle flung Lilith's door open and stepped inside. Lilith was still laying in bed, tossing and turning and moaning; she was having a nightmare.

"Lilith," muttered William. "We have to wake her up!" he made to run toward her, but Ken stopped him.

"No, we cannot wake her!"

"Why not?! Can't you see she's in pain?! She can't even control her own power!" William bellowed.

"Just don't! Wait a second." and Ken and the other four all stared at Lilith. After about five minutes of withstanding the changes of temperature in the house, everything went back to normal, and Lilith deceased her throwing about. Instead, her eyes slowly opened.

She sat up and gazed around at everything in confusion. Her expression was dazed and resembled that of a weary Ken. She then turned her eyes to the five boys who were watching her with apprehension. Lyle smiled with gratitude. "Lilith, you're okay," he started to walk to her, but she only back away against the wall (since her bed was positioned against it).

She had slight alarm on her face. Lyle stopped his pace and backed away. Fennel looked thoughtful. "I'm sensing fear and confusion," he told them all. "No comfort, just fear."

"It looks like she doesn't know who we are," Bracken informed. "Completely strange; I've _never _in my life seen a mage who's suffered memory loss."

Ken looked devastated. He knew Sovereign might have had some effect on her, but he never expected the same scenario as him. He had lost his memory of himself and his parents because he had lost his heart. Was Lilith facing the same problem?

"Who...who are you?" Lilith asked them, not moving from her corner against the wall.

"Lilith, it me, Lyle. Your brother. Don't you remember me?" Lyle eased toward her, as if trying to approach a lion or frightened horse.

Ken stopped Lyle from approaching her. "No, she doesn't remember us. I think I know why," he turned to Lilith. "It's okay. I'm Ken; I'm your friend. No one here is going to hurt you. We just wanna help. Just come with us; we'll explain everything to you." 

Lilith looked more frightened than Ken had ever seen her. However, she agreed to go with them, but only if they didn't get too close. Back downstairs in the living room, Lilith seated herself on the couch while the other boys sat on the floor. However, Ken and Fennel remained standing.

Lilith stared around at her surroundings. How strange; it seemed so familiar, and yet so foreign. Lyle slowly picked up the glass of lemonade for Lilith and gave it to her. "Don't you remember any of this, Lilith?" he ask cautiously. "I mean, this is your home, where you've grown up since you were eight."

Lilith shook her head. "I feel strange. I know I've been here, but at the same time, I'm positive I've never seen this room in my life."

"How about your dream?" Bracken asked. "Do you remember anything of that?"

"No; not really."

"You must have had quite the nightmare if you lost control of your power," Fennel told her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Why, you're a mage, Lilith. Do you know what a mage is?" Bracken asked.

Lilith sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I'm a mage, I've got a brother and a cat, then who are you two?!" she demanded, pointing at Fennel and Bracken.

"We're your friends too. Just like Ken. Can't you remember anything?" Fennel explained.

"I've told you already, _no! _How many times must I say it before it sinks in to you?!" Lilith leapt off the couch.

"Lilith, we didn't mean to treat you like an infant, but raising your voice won't help you. You're searching for answers from us, and we're seeking some from you," Bracken told her.

"What good are _my _answers? I can't remember a thing, remember?!" Lilith plopped back onto the sofa, looking bad-tempered.

"Lilith, dear, you must be very confused-" Fennel began.

"Just go away and leave me alone!" Lilith covered her ears and slammed her eyes shut. "I don't wanna talk anymore!"

"Then we will leave you here to think, Lilith," Fennel said, sheparding everyone to the kitchen.

Lilith simply sat there on the couch, tears forming in her eyes then flowing down her cheeks. What was going on? Who were these people and why can't she remember anything past waking up?

"I've never seen Lilith act like this before," Lyle said to the other boys.

"It's perfectly normal," informed Fennel. "She's terribly confused and probably needs more rest."

"Hmm, I wonder," said Bracken thoughtfully, "If we could get Lilith to get back to sleep, I could try entering her mind and unlocking the doors to her past memories. It's worked before on mortal people; it might work on her."

"Sounds like a plan," said William. "Anything to get Lilith back."

"That does sound good," Ken began, "But this isn't a simple matter of Lilith losing her memory," he turned to Lyle. "Lyle, how long has it been since Lilith stopped mourning for the loss of her parents?"

"She was shattered for about three months and took about a whole year to completely cheer up," Lyle replied, "Why?"

"I don't think Lilith ever really fully healed from losing her parents. Like a scar. She's been lonely for years, I reckon," Ken said candidly.

"How could she have been lonely? I've been here taking care of her!" Lyle said, nearly yelled.

"You may have sheltered her, clothed her, and even spent some time with her, but that's not enough. When was the last time you actually hugged her or told her everything was gonna be alright?" Ken stared at Lyle and had found the truth. 

Lyle stared at the floor. "I can't remember the last time I ever hugged Lilith. She seemed to _want _to be left alone most of the time. I didn't want her to think I was prying into her life." 

"I know," Ken told him kindly, "That's how my parents were back a while ago. They never bothered me, because they thought I'd be irritated."

"Hey, guys," Fennel suddenly budded in, checking around the corner to the living room, "I think Lilith's fallen asleep. If we're going to release her memory, we'd better do it now."

So Ken, Lyle, William, Fennel, and Bracken all tiptoed into the living room. "This is a very easy procedure, everyone," Bracken informed them all. He placed his hands on both sides of Lilith's head and closed his eyes, concentrating. They watched him for a full ten minutes before he was shot backward by something.

"Bracken!" everyone shouted. "What happened?" Ken asked.

"There's something inside her!" he said, standing up and holding his sore arm. "It was the strangest thing in the world; I've never seen such a mind before. Come back to the kitchen, I'll explain."

Once everyone assembled into the kitchen once more, Bracken proceeded with his story. "When I first entered and began my exploration, it looked like every other mind I had encountered. Then, however, I came across two doors. Normally, a mind only has one door..." 

The one on the right was open ajar. I spied in and found a tidy room with an open window. A breeze was coming from it and the room smelt of peaches. The ceiling and walls were covered with moons and stars; the plush carpet under my feet had heart designs all over. In addition, sitting on a bed that was against the left corner was a large red fox.

It was nearly large enough to ride, and it stared at me with its great eyes. Its many tails were wafting from side to side. Though I've never seen an actual person or animal in a person's mind, I almost _knew _that this creature wouldn't harm me. This room I was in had to have been Lilith's true nature. However, there was that other room I had yet to explore; this one was locked; I was forced to use my own magic inside her mind to open it.

This room seemed more royal. A fire place was crackling at the back of the vast room and the two large windows on either side revealed the outside to be dark, unlike the sunlight that shone from the other room. The soft rug underneath my feet seemed to belong to a wealthy person, for it was very well designed. To the right of me was a nightstand and a four-poster bed with dark purple sheets and blankets.

There were two red chairs near the fire place, like a place for two people to talk. I heard movement coming from the one on the right. A young girl stepped into view. She seemed to be of royal class because of the rich pink and white clothing she was wearing. I didn't know who she was, except that she wasn't Lilith.

This young girl had very long golden hair and lilac eyes. She smiled and giggled at the sight of me, then indicated the chair to the left, welcoming me to sit. I approached with caution, fearing that this might all be one big delusion or trap. It was so strange; everything in the room seemed so real, although it was all just in Lilith's mind. This girl then offered me a cup of tea, assuring me that it wasn't poison.

Taking a sip, I realized that she had great interest in starting a conversation. "Welcome," she said simply. "The hour is very late. I take it you found your way here easy enough?"

Somehow, though I don't know why, I knew I had to start a conversation or else I'd be trying her patience. "Is it always dark here?"

She nodded, still smiling. "Yes, but I don't mind it. In fact, I rather enjoy it."

"I say, are you aware that you are sharing the mind of a young girl?" I asked her.

Once again, she nodded. "Oh, yes. I found this girl all on my own. She had such an open mind as was so hospitable with all the energy she stored."

"Did you know that she's in trouble and can't remember anything?"

"Yes. I know that. But it's not my fault. If you're trying to land the blame on somebody, try her brother." she replied simply, continuing to sip her tea.

I told her, "You may not be the cause, child, but for safety reasons, I wish for you to leave this girl's body."

She then stood up. "Are you ordering me?" she asked me tartly. "The last time I checked this was not your vessel. I intend on staying here, and there's nothing _you _can do to make me leave."

This girl was now trying _my _patience. "Girl, I'm warning you that you're opposing a mage! Now leave, or I shall banish you!"

"That's already been tried," she replied, smiling and sitting back down. "The one Ken Ichijouji tried to banish me with the most effective means, but there was no luck. He merely drove me deeper."

"He used the mistletoe plant?"

"Yes, but I'm still here, aren't I? Unfortunately, I can't simply take control of Lilith whenever I feel like it now. I can only dwell inside her."

"Tell me, girl. How long do you intend on being a parasite?!" I finally bellowed.

Now I had gone too far. "I've had enough of your tongue! I banish you out of this vessel now!" she simply waved her hand quickly and I felt myself being thrown out of her...

"And that's the last thing I remembered before being launched back here." everyone stared at him.

Ken managed to loosen his throat to say, "I was almost positive Sovereign was gone for good."

"Sovereign, did you say?" Bracken asked. "Why, she's a mage from a royal family back nearly five hundred years ago. She just disappeared one day, along with another boy named Baron."

"Yeah, well, she's back now," said Ken, standing up and sighing. He walked back into the living room where Lilith lay, her breathing steady.

"Poor kid," said Lyle, bending down and picking Lilith up. "I knew Lilith's and my torments weren't over just yet, but I _never _in my life suspected this." he carefully climbed the stairs, Ken following him, and entered Lilith's room, laying her down on her bed and covering her up. "I just hope she can recover."

"I know she can," said Ken. "Lilith's a strong girl; and good-hearted. She'll make it back."

_"Oh, now where am I?" Lilith found herself surrounded by black. She felt as though she were floating. Then, all of the sudden, light appeared and she could see; she was held in some kind of crystal. Then Lilith began to choke; she was drowning in the water that had quickly appeared inside the crystal!_

Trying to save her breath, Lilith began banging frantically on the crystal walls, but they wouldn't give in. Lilith tried to scream for help, but only took in a mouthful of water. It tasted awful and ended up going down the wrong side of her throat. She coughed and lost the last of her air; if she didn't break free soon, she'd be killed. She felt her energy being leached out of her as her world began to go black.

As her eyes closed and her heart beat slowed down, a hand went right through the unbreakable crystal walls and pulled Lilith out. Lilith was brought back to consciousness when she felt something smash into her stomach. She sat up and heaved every bit of water that was trapped in her chest. Weary and shaking, Lilith stared up at the life saver; she would have leapt to her feet if she wasn't so weak.

"Sovereign! What're you doing here?"

The blond girl stared down at her. "I bet you weren't expecting me, of all people to rescue you, now were you?"

"Why was I in there?" Lilith asked, trying, and failing to get to her feet.

"Since you're still a part of me, I guess you could say you were living out one of my memories. The thing I recall the most about my past was being trapped inside that crystal prison. You nearly drowned in there; I, however, did drown. I didn't die, that is, until my body deteriorated."

Lilith blanched. "How did I get here?" she then asked.

"You're still in your own mind, if that's what you're wondering. You've ultimately been dragged through Hell, though, haven't you?" Sovereign replied.

Lilith stared at the floor. "Yes. I basically just relived everything in my past. Everything mainly surrounded the day my parents died. Then I woke up, but I didn't feel all there; I felt like an empty shell. I saw Lyle, Ken, Will, Fennel, and even Bracken, and I knew them, but...In a sense I didn't; I didn't even know myself."

Sovereign yawned, making Lilith angry. "This atmosphere's quite uncomfortable. Care to go to my room?" Lilith stared with uncertainty, but agreed. Sovereign smiled; then everything around them dissolved, and Lilith was now in a gorgeous, but dark room, Sovereign's room. She seated herself in front of the fireplace and beckoned Lilith to do the same.

"Now, Lilith, the reason you woke up not knowing who you were, was because you were yourself again. Am I making sense?" staring, Lilith shook her head. "It's like this: I've been dwelling inside you, taking control of you whenever I wanted. Ever since then, you can't deny that you've never really felt quite free."

"Yeah, I did feel like that. Why did you do this to me, Sovereign?" Lilith asked, looking fervent.

"I needed a host so badly, Lilith. I wanted revenge so much that I didn't care how long it took me to find the perfect host. I don't mean to pick on you, but you had magical powers, and strong powers at that, and your mind was weak and like an open door because of your mourning for the loss of your parents; you were the best host I could find, even if I searched the entire world." Sovereign conjured up two cups of tea. "Drink this; it's really quite good."

Lilith, exceedingly thirsty and willing to drink anything, took the cup from Sovereign. "So, the reason I couldn't remember who I was, was because you no longer had control of me?"

"Yes. You were a free soul again, and it was a new thing for you to feel; true freedom. Well, you're not truly free yet; yes, I can no longer take control of you, but I wasn't the only one masking who you really were." she frowned at Lilith's look of apprehension. "It was also yourself, and you're still doing it."

"What're you talking about?" Lilith stood up.

"Calm yourself," Sovereign replied sternly, not leaving her seat. "Ever since you were very young, you had one passion, didn't you? But after your parents died, you hid it, practically abandoned it to try to be more like what Lyle expected of you; a perfect scholar and great mage, just like your mother was. After you hid it, you forgot about it, and hence forgot yourself; what you loved so much and who you were was gone, and was replaced by something else."

Lilith sat back down, tears forming in her eyes. "That's true. Ever since Mom and Dad died, I wanted to try to be just like Mom, so Lyle wouldn't miss her and Dad as much as I did."

"Well, Lilith, you aren't your mother. You are Lilith; and I thinks it's time you found her again," Sovereign smiled and snapped her fingers. Her room door opened to reveal bright white light. "C'mon, now." she got up and headed for the door.

"Wait," Lilith called. Sovereign stopped and turned and faced Lilith. "How did you now about all of this? About my past and...my dream?"

"Well, ever since Bracken came into your mind and we talked, what he said got me thinking about you. I traveled through your memories and found everything I needed to find; I dunno; well, are you coming or not? Through this door you'll forget your pains; I guarantee it." Sovereign took Lilith's hand and pushed her right through the door and into to warm light.

When Lilith opened her eyes again, she gasped at her surroundings. For a whole minute she stood there, completely forgetting about everything that was once rushing through her head. Instead, she blushed and grinned in excitement; she was in what looked like a dance room. Upbeat music filled the room and people, men and women were dancing, some even singing to the music. There was a stage near the back where a few people jumped up and began busting moves.

"Well, c'mon, Lilith. Let's show these amateurs how dancing's really done," Lilith felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and turned around. Sovereign grinned at her, her long blond hair in a high ponytail, and dressed in a strapless pink shirt with a star on the front, a short purple skirt, and knee-high white socks with white dancing shoes which made her even taller than she used to be. Lilith then stared down at herself. She was also in dancing clothes; a yellow strapless shirt with a pink jacket, short red shorts, and the same knee-high socks and white dancing shoes as Sovereign.

She blushed then ran to catch up with Sovereign. "Wait, where are we going?"

"We're going on stage to dance, Lilith. For the first time, you're gonna live out your dream for today," she laughed at Lilith's beet red face. "Don't be embarrassed. Remember, everything here is generated in your mind. So c'mon, Lilith; you're greatest dream was to be a dancer, and now you're gonna find it." 

Before Lilith could object, she found herself up on the stage along with Sovereign and two other guys and girls. Lilith's body tensed up, staring at everyone else. Then, a familiar song filled the air; a song that she would always listen to and dance to as a little girl. As the fast techno tune began, Lilith grinned and relaxed; she put her arms out in front of her along with the other five dancers, including Sovereign. 

Boys, boys, be my boy

I wanna feel your body

Boys, boys, be my boy

Tonight I'm ready, honey...

_Lilith's arms and legs moved quickly to the beat as she recalled the dancing she would do as a small child. Looking to her left, she saw Sovereign and the other two girls dancing the same way she was, while the two boys were break dancing all over the place. Lilith's confidence grew as the song sped up and so did she. This was what she loved to do; she wanted to dance since she was five and now she was._

When the song ended, Lilith was sweating, but happier than she had been in a long time. She and Sovereign got down from the stage and went back through the door, into Sovereign's room. They both sat down in the chairs next to the fire. "Sovereign," she said, "I don't know why you're helping me, but thanks."

"Well," Sovereign stretched in her chair then looked at Lilith, "Don't get used to it. Whenever I find a way of my own to get that talisman, I'm gonna get my revenge. Just you wait and see."

"Sure," said Lilith, smiling.

"Anyway, I think it's time you went back. Your brother and friends are worried like hell over you." Sovereign stood up again.

"Yeah," Lilith agreed. "Now that I think about it, I really can't wait to get back." she took one glance back at Sovereign before going through the door.

"Lilith, you have to live your own life, not someone else's."

Lilith's eyes opened as she was brought back to consciousness. The sun was out and high into the sky; it must be noon. Lilith then realized that she was in her pink pajamas with the heart sewn into the left pocket. Someone must have dressed her. After stretching, Lilith stood up and walked to the door feeling refreshed and gleeful. 

Ken and the others were all downstairs in the living room, waiting for Lilith to come down. It had been three days now since she fell back asleep. Every day, Ken would call his parents and tell them where he was. Now he and the other four were eating lunch that Lyle had cooked, when the heard creaking on the stairway. The all looked up and stared.

Lilith stepped into view, smiling at everyone. In an instant, however, she was picked up and held tightly by Lyle, while William was squeezing her too. And it didn't stop there; when she was put down, Ken wrapped his arms around her, nearly squeezing the life out of her. "How do ya feel?" he asked.

"Besides like a can of sardines, I feel great," Lilith replied, her grin broadening.

"Do you remember all of us?" Bracken asked.

Lilith gazed around. "Fennel," she pointed at the long haired man, "William," she pointed at her body guard, "Ken," she pointed at the indigo, "Bracken," she indicated the giant, "And...this blond guy here...I'm having trouble with it...umm..."

Lyle laughed and scooped her up again. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"I'm alright and better," she replied. "I realized something in my dreams. I've been hiding myself from people, even you, Lyle. But now things are gonna be different. You'll see." Lilith wrapped her arms around Lyle's neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Lyle."

While everyone in the Tsutomo household were rejoicing and laughing, someone else in the Digital World was working overtime. Someone who's family was darkness and friend was chaos. Someone who was surrounded by bats; someone who was itching to get his hands on Lilith and destroy the Digidestined. Someone by the name of Myotismon... 


	15. Ch15: Enter Myotismon

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Sovereign, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata (more to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. Once again I'd like to thank Evil Little Person, Heath 999, and Ken's Luver for their constant reviews. You're all great!^_^

Chapter Fifteen:

Enter Myotismon

"No! No, no, _NO!_"

"I've gotcha now! Take this! Taste the ocean, baby! _Taste it_!" Ariyami cried triumphantly, his eyes glued to the TV along with Cal's, both of them sitting on the floor. They were battling each other on Goddess Rampage, the new video game. Ken soon realized that Ariyami was a professional button masher, using quick attacks and making his character do her special moves often on Cal's player. It was all over for Cal's character when he screamed in agony and fell to the ground.

Cal fell backward on his back; this was his seventh straight defeat by Ariyami. "Yeah! Nobody can beat the awesome power of Tsunami, The Goddess of The Sea!" Ariyami did a little victory dance, prancing about.

Molly, Ken, and Ariyuki all stared at Cal and the exceedingly overconfident boy. Cal jumped back into sitting position. "One more match!" he cried, picking up the controller again.

"You are on, old man!" Ariyami replied, pointing at him dramatically. He seated himself as Cal went to the player selection screen. Ariyami, of course, chose his favorite character, Tsunami, The Goddess of The Sea, while Cal picked Gyako, The Samurai of Dark Spells. He could never beat Ariyami with Gyako, but he was the only character Cal knew how to play.

"This time I'm gonna smash you into the ground!" he shouted challengingly. 

"Keep dreamin'!" Ariyami retorted.

"Honestly, out of the two of them I can't tell which one is the youngest," Molly murmured to her other sons.

Ken nodded distractedly. Ariyuki was getting impatient. "Hey, you guys! Mama gave that game to _me_ as a present and I only got to play it once! I wanna play!" Both Cal and Ariyami glared at Ariyuki. He laughed nervously and ran behind his mother.

"I think...I'll go do dishes now," said Molly, heading toward the kitchen, wanting to get as far away from Cal and Ariyami as humanly possible.

"Yeah, and I've got homework." Ken added, stalking into his room to get his English assignment.

"Yeah, and I think I'll go play the computer." Ariyuki toddled with Ken into his room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ugh, this is torture! There's nothing to watch!" Lyle whined, clicking through different channels, but finding nothing of interest.

"No detective shows today?" Lilith asked, coming from the kitchen and plopping onto the chair, Nekomata jumping into her lap.

"Not one! Jeez, you'd think they'd make a channel completely devoted to crime solving detectives like moi!" Lyle gave up and shut the television off. "I gotta check my e-mails. I gotta do something before I suffer cabin fever."

"Well if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna go into Tokyo and see what's up," Lilith told Lyle, standing up and stretching.

"Yeah, alright. Just be home by five and follow the rules." Lilith nodded at Lyle's instructions and made to leave when Lyle called her back. "And Lilith, be careful, okay?"

Lilith smiled. "Sure thing."

_Lilith, I'm coming with you, _Nekomata in cat form told her, _I can't stand being cooped up in the house all day. I'm gonna come with you._

"Alright, if you really want to," Lilith replied as they skipped down the stone steps. "I'm curious, Nekomata," Lilith added, half way down the dusty road, "Sovereign's been terrorizing the Digital World and being so cruel to people, but why is she so nice to you and me?"

_It's probably because you're the host, Lilith. Sovereign must know that she has to treat you kindly if she doesn't want a struggle over a body. She's probably kind to me because I agreed to keep her secret, _Nekomata said, staring up at her thoughtful partner.

"Also, Nekomata, I don't think I'm the only one with a spirit inside. I think Ken's got one too. I hear him trying to talk to himself, saying things like 'Where are you?' and 'Why aren't you answering?'." Lilith sighed and stared up at the blue sky. Birds were chirping their placid melody in the air as they danced through the clouds and caught the spring breeze. Her soft little moment was broken, however, by the sound of two people quarreling.

"I'm tellin' ya it's this way!"

"No, moron, it's that way! Right down there!"

Lilith heard two people arguing behind a bush. She moved it aside to talk. "Excuse me, can I help-" but she stopped as soon as she realized what she was staring at. Two creatures; Digimon. They had to be.

"Aha! I told you it was that way!" a red vegetable-like Digimon said.

"Beginner's luck!" bellowed the other one who looked exactly like the first one.

"Anyway," the first one stared at Lilith, "You have to come with us. Master's orders."

"'Master's orders'?" Lilith asked, backing away from the Digimon known as Redveggiemon. Nekomata hissed at both Digimon, warning them to stay away.

"C'mon, girlie. Don't make it hard for us, here. All ya gotta do is come with us and meet the Master," said the second Redveggiemon.

"There's no chance," Lilith replied warningly. She turned right around and made a run for it, Nekomata close to her heels. She didn't get very far, however, because one of the Redveggiemon shot out its long, cord-like arms and wrapped them around Lilith. She was suddenly dragged backward. "No, let me go!" she demanded, struggling with all her strength.

"C'mon, Redveggiemon! How hard is it to reel in a girl?!" the second Digimon complained.

"_You _try dragging a wiggling girl who's dug her heels into the ground!" the first one retorted.

Nekomata, seeing this wonderful opportunity, leapt up and sank her small, needle-sharp teeth into Redveggiemon's long arms. "Ahh! Get it off me!" it screamed, releasing Lilith and thrashing about.

"Hold still or you'll rip your own arm off!" the other one tried to coach. Thinking quick so her precious partner wouldn't get hurt, Lilith ran and grabbed some rope that she had laying nearby (Lyle was too lazy to pick it up years ago) and lassoed in the Redveggiemon. Once being a rodeo beginner, it was cake. She then tied the struggling Digimon to a tree trunk and used one of her sleeping herbs to knock them out.

Panting, Lilith scooped up her exhausted Digimon. "What _was _that?" Lilith asked, stroking Nekomata's fur.

"I don't know. I've never seen Digimon in the Digital World before. Not ever since Myotismon came and gone." 

"I think we'd better tell the others about this," Lilith suggested, staring at the now snoring Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"NO! Not again!" Cal cried despairingly after Tsunami used her Hydro Wave of Magic and totally destroyed Gyako again. This time he admitted defeat and went to help his wife in the kitchen.

"My turn!" Ariyuki shouted, leaping onto the floor and grabbing the controller. 

"I hope you know what you're doing," Ariyami cautioned him, going to Player Selection and picking Tsunami again. Not to his surprise, Ariyuki picked his favorite red head, Mhera, the Goddess of Fire.

Ken and Molly sighed hopelessly. They were going to play that all day long. Then the doorbell rang. Ken opened the door to see a panting Lilith asking to come in. Confused, Ken agreed.

When Lilith had finished telling him the story about running into two Redveggiemon, Ken stared, his jaw wide open. Even Ariyuki and Ariyami stopped playing their game to listen to Lilith. "How can this be?" Ken asked.

"Well, it's either gotta be a Digimon with fierce intelligence, or a Digimon with great brute force to be able to open and keep open a portal to this world," Lilith explained. "That's the only answer I can summon up to this."

"Well," Ken thought, "Arukenimon was really smart, but she's dead. Myotismon was very strong, but he's dead too."

"Ken, you told me Myotismon's been able to reconfigure himself twice!" Ariyami budded in.

Ken turned white; he hadn't thought of that. What if this _was _Myotismon? "I think you're right," Ken admitted. "This must be Myotismon's work. We've gotta tell the others."

After calling everyone to a meeting in the park with no name, Ken rounded up Ariyuki, Ariyami, Lilith, and the Digimon and set out. Once joined with his friends, Ken and Lilith explained everything about the Redveggiemon, and who they thought was behind all this.

"This _has _to be a joke!" Yolei cried. "Not Myotismon! Not again!"

"Keep quiet, Yolei," Davis snapped. "Do you want all of Tokyo to hear ya?"

"This is nothing to blow our noses at, guys," said Takeru. "Maybe we should check this out in the Digiworld."

"That might be a good idea," Kari agreed.

_At least they don't think I'm crazy, _Ken thought happily.

Traveling through the portal and to the Digital World, the Digidestined were all praying that their suspicions weren't correct. If this really was Myotismon, they weren't sure they could beat him again. Each time they fought him, he got stronger. What would he be like this time? Everyone was so worried about whether or not Myotismon was actually back that no one landed on their feet in the Digital World this time except Ariyami, who didn't land at all.

Ken looked back at Ariyuki to see him battling his stomach over throwing up. He still hadn't gotten use to traveling through the portal yet. It didn't take a genius to figure out that something was wrong with the Digital World; the sky was a murky purple color and lightning seemed to clash everywhere.

"This isn't just some freak storm," Lilith informed them all. "A storm as..._strange_ as this means nothing more or less than magic."

Ken turned to see Lilith, and stared. He just then realized that Lilith's outfit was different in the Digital World. Blue jeans, black boots hiding under the blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a long red vest that went down to her knees and was billowing about. Lilith didn't notice Ken's stare, however.

"How can we stop this magic?" Davis asked, actually concerned about something.

"We stop this magic by stopping its source; whoever created it," Lilith told them all. "You should all know this won't be easy; you have to have extreme power to create a storm like this. Whoever made this has power by the truckload."

"Whoa! Midori, calm down! It's okay!" everyone turned to see Ariyuki struggling with Midori in his arms. She was squirming and hissing, positively terrified. Now that they came to notice, Neomon was acting in the same way. He wasn't thrashing about, but his head was whipping from side to side, as though aware something was watching them or around them. 

Gatomon could feel it too. It was like a shower of darkness had poured onto them. "Something's not right," she informed them. "There's strange energy all around us!"

_Dark Spirit magic, _said a voice in Ken's head. Ken felt himself going inside his mind.

_Kaiser? What're you doing here? I tried contacting you forever!_

It's strange, but I can't communicate with you unless there's spirit magic about. I've been trying to reach you too. This is the dark magic work of Daemon, the Digimon that was after you so he could get to me, the dark energy inside. 

Why are Midori and Neomon acting so strange? Ken asked. _Gatomon can sense this darkness, but she's not going nuts like the other two._

Yeah, I know. I'm not sure why Midori and Neomon are acting the way they are, but I think Gatomon's slightly immune because she's use to being around darkness and has faced it many times. Maybe Neomon and Midori aren't as accustomed to it. Nekomata should have been affected too, but she's been hanging out with Sovereign, and you know how much darkness she harbors. This would also strengthen my enlightenment. Kaiser began to pace, thinking, trying to come up with a strong explanation. _Look, you need to get back out there with the others._

Alright. Thanks for the information. 

_No prob. Just remember, I'm not just a walking dictionary._

And with that, Ken found himself back in the Digital World, being totally left out of a conversation between the other Digidestined. Midori and Neomon were still wired, but had calmed down a bit during the time he was talking with Kaiser. "We can't just barge right up there and confront him. That'd be mass suicide!" Yolei was protesting.

"Well, it's sure better than waitin' here for him to come get us!" Davis yelled.

"What's going on?" Ken asked, walking up to them.

"Hello! Where have you been these past five minutes?" Cody yelled vindictively.

"Leave him alone!" Ariyuki retorted. "It's not his fault! He has better things to do than listen to five people arguing." Cody scowled at the way Ariyuki would always come to Ken's defense.

"Guys, I think we should just go up there and see who's behind this," Ariyami finally said.

"My thought exactly!" Davis added.

"Honestly! Is running in head first the only thing you two think about?" Yolei inquired, folding her arms impatiently.

"No, I agree with them," noted Ken and Takeru.

"Yeah, we've always been doing the Play-It-Safe maneuver. It's time to take this bad guy by surprise!" Ariyuki agreed.

And so, all nine Digidestined walked on foot toward the cause of the sky of darkness. Midori and Neomon offered to lead the way, knowing that their sensitivity to the darkness might come in handy. They knew they were close when Midori's green fur prickled and Neomon's crystal eyes glinted. "We're not alone," he said suddenly. "I can sense someone coming...they're getting closer..."

They soon found out what. A mass of white cloud began to soar toward them...very quickly. It wasn't long until Ken figured out that this mass of cloud were really Bakemon. They laughed their ghoulish laugh as they charged.

"Midori, Crystal Digivolve!"

"Neomon, Crystal Digivolve!"

In no time the warrior and spellcaster type Digimon were in the air, preparing to defend.

"Look," said the Bakemon in the lead, "Two little snacks before our dinner."

"They obviously do not know who we are," noted Shadowmon, his arms folded. "How rude."

"This oughta teach them some manners. Twilight Flash!" Midori cried, hurling her large blue ball of energy at them. She destroyed an entire line of them, but it didn't stop them.

"Sword of Faith!" Shadowmon tried his attack and it had the same effect, but they still kept coming. Shadowmon withdrew his black sword and plunged it back into his scabbard. "We have to get out of here! They just keep coming!"

"Why are they doing this?" Yolei panted as they all ran (not including Ariyami, Midori, or Shadowmon). "Why are they trying to get to us so badly?"

"I dunno, but keep moving those legs!" Lilith replied.

However, it wasn't long before the eight grounded Digidestined found themselves running in to a dead end. There was nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. "We have to fight them!" Ken shouted, breaking off a dead tree branch. Ken noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Lilith sinking to her knees, her eyes closed, silently chanting something, the Bakemon closing in fast.

"_I implore you, my magic pet, my familiar of light. Come to my aid, you are needed now. Power of Magic, come to me. Your master calls. So mote it be!_" the Bakemon were inches away when an eruption of dazzling white light took place. The Bakemon screamed in shock as they shielded their eyes. Ken could make out through the squinting of his eyes a large white, ghostly animal charge toward the Bakemon.

It was a fox. A giant fox screeching like an eagle as it charged swiftly towards its foes. The second its pure figure touched them, the dark Digimon would scream in agony, then vanish. The bright fox didn't stop its rampage until every Bakemon around was deleted. 

When its task was completed, it stopped moving and stared right at Ken, it's white eyes piercing his very soul. Then, in a wisp of cloud, it vanished. Lilith smiled and collapsed on that very spot. Ken, recovering from the piercing gaze of the magnificent animal, ran to her side.

"You were wonderful, Lilith!" Ken told her, lifting her up onto her feet.

"Where did you learn such a spell?" Kari asked as everyone gathered around her.

"From my mother," Lilith replied. "She taught me almost all of my spells."

Davis smiled then, hearing a familiar sound, spun around. "Here comes the second wave!" he cried, pointing at more Bakemon soaring towards them.

Ken stared at Lilith. "Can you?" he asked. 

Lilith closed her eyes and clamped her hands together, chanting the same spell. Only a flicker of light appeared before dying completely. "I can't," she finally admitted. "I'm too weak now."

"Alright," Ken told her gently. "Everyone! We have to protect Lilith!" he shouted.

"You have our word that we will try our best," Shadowmon declared.

"I'm goin' too," Ariyami added. "I can take 'em."

"Be careful, Ariyami," said Yolei sternly, unable to conceive what she had just said.

Ariyami soared into the air with the two Digimon, preparing to fight. He summoned his red beam sword and charged, thrusting his blade viciously at his opponents. Midori relied on her shards of magic while Shadowmon followed Ariyami and used his sword, although he was perfectly capable of psychic powers. They cut through the Bakemon one by one, sometimes five by five.

_What do you think their chances are? _Kaiser asked Ken.

"If you're talking about the Bakemon, then not very good," Ken replied, not taking his eyes off the battle. It wasn't long until the last one was slain and the three warriors landed on the safe ground. Everyone ran to congratulate them.

"Great work, guys!" Davis cheered.

"We're so proud of you, Ariyami," Ariyuki told him.

The cheers were broken, however, by a scream. All of them whipped around to find Daemon with Lilith struggling in his left arm, his right arm holding his scythe to her neck. "Good evening, children," he sneered. "I hope you don't mind, but this little one is a much anticipated guest for lord Myotismon."

"No, stop! Leave her alone!" Ken bellowed, taking a step forward.

"Such temper, Ichijouji," tut-tutted the red, grim reaper-like Digimon, "It will get you into trouble some day."

"Ken, help!" Lilith cried, struggling helplessly against Daemon's strong arm.

"This was all one big plan, wasn't it?" Ken snarled. "Myotismon meant to send all of those Bakemon to their death by charging us. He wanted Lilith to use up all of her energy so she wouldn't put up a fight. Then you sent another group of casualties to distract us while you snuck in like a snake to take her!"

"Clever, boy. Even without your precious spore," sneered Daemon again.

_Was that just an insult?! _Kaiser cried loudly in Ken's head, making him cringe. _Let me have a go at him! I'll tear him to Digi-pieces!_

"No, Kaiser," Ken whispered. "Don't do anything yet. Not only would Daemon catch on, but the others would be in a riot."

Now, however, Daemon was disappearing along with Lilith. "If you ever wish to see her again, I'd make swift haste toward the place where Myotismon dwells." hinted the dark Digimon. And with that, he and Lilith were gone.

Ken's fists clenched in anger. Now what could he do? Nekomata howled in rage, transforming into her Digimon self. How could they find her? Now everything seemed hopeless; if Myotismon wanted her, it must be for a good reason if he'd go through this much trouble just to get her.

Then Kaiser spoke up in Ken's mind. _Ken, I can sense Sovereign's spirit. She's in a very dark place right now and is sending a strong signal to me. _

Alright, Ken replied. _I'll let you lead, just don't let the others know who you are. _And with that, Ken and Kaiser's souls switched place. Now Kaiser was in control.

"Alright, guys. Follow me!" he instructed.

"Where are we going?" Takeru asked.

"I know exactly where Lilith is. I'm, uh, getting a signal from her. Ya know?" Kaiser told them, hiding his cover-up face.

_Nice one, slick, _Ken mumbled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith sat on the cold stone floor, scared beyond anything she'd ever felt, and trembling. She'd heard stories about Myotismon from Ken, and none of them were pleasant. Soon tears splashed the ground as Lilith sobbed. A light voice brought her head up.

_Lilith, what's wrong? _It was Sovereign! She was out of Lilith's mind and standing in front of her, though transparent.

Lilith wiped her eyes. "Can't you see where we are?" she asked.

Sovereign looked around. _Yes. We're in the new fortress of Myotismon. Are you afraid of him?_

"Who wouldn't be?" Lilith replied, shuddering. 

_I know, _said Sovereign, _but you can't let him know you're scared. It'll only please him more._

Lilith stood up. "I know, but what should I do?"

_You can start by finding a way outta here._

"Alright," Lilith walked toward the bars that kept her imprisoned. "I'll try my fire spell."

_You'd better chant for this one, Lilith. These bars were created by Myotismon, remember. _

Lilith nodded and focused her recharged force. Red energy surrounded her and made her hair weightless. "_Fire, power of destruction and rebirth. Grant me your power, your burning worth. Power of magic, come to me. Your master calls. So mote it be!_" Lilith, her hands now engulfed in flames, grabbed two of the bars and watched as they slowly melted until they were weak enough to snap off.

Now there was a nice hole just large enough for her to fit her body through it. She cancelled her flame spell and squeezed through, Sovereign sauntering right through them. "So what's the plan now?" Lilith asked.

_We get outta here and find the others. _Sovereign replied. 

"How did you get outta there?!" a voice bellowed behind them. A Bakemon was drifting quickly toward them. 

Sovereign reentered Lilith's mind, hurting a lot. Regaining her thoughts, Lilith made a run for it down the narrow corridor. It wasn't long, however, before the familiar red vine-like arms wrapped around her; in shock, she tripped. It was another Redveggiemon who had caught her.

"Come on, now. The Boss is anxious to see you now," it said, smirking.

Desperate, Lilith kicked around, but it was no good. By now more Redveggiemon had come to detain her. After they got her to desist her struggling, they carried her down the halls and through doors both large and small before they came to a particularly intriguing door rimmed with gold, the door handles blood red. Lilith gulped; the doors opened slowly. 

The Redveggiemon threw inside then slammed the door shut. She was now in a large room. It reminded Lilith heavily of a throne room from the Time of Kings. Her bewildered thoughts were disrupted, however, by the sound of footsteps to her right.

A tall man-like being stepped out of the shadows and into Lilith's view. She gasped as she gazed at his royal blue and red cape, his indigo blue and gold trimmed shirt and pants, and his most conspicuous detail, his red mask with long wings. Her memory then went back to when she was nine; the vampire that had killed her mother and father. This was that vampire; Myotismon!

"You..." she muttered, terrified, backing away from him.

"Yes," he drawled. "I wondered when you'd remember me, young one." he approached her, his black boots echoing on the stone floor. Lilith noticed (though it was odd) that his boots had a skull on his right foot, and a bat on the left. "Come now, why are you so afraid? I won't hurt you. I'd never hurt my own offspring."

Lilith's insides turned over. "_WHAT?!_"

"Well, sort of. This is going to be a long story, but you might as well know the truth." he conjured up a large blue crystal ball. "This will help explain. Looking into this you'll be able to see the past."

Lilith, too interested to refuse, peered into the ball. "You see, a very long time ago, even before your birth, your mother and father went into Tokyo. Your mother, Suzaku, had never been there before, and your father, Cairrio, wanted to show her the city for the first time..." 

You, of course, were seven months from birth. One night, your mother, on her way back to the hotel, came across a group of men blocking the way. Not wanting to confront them and endanger you, took a different route down a narrow and dark alley. Sound familiar?

Anyway, I was new in life and had found my way to the real world. Every night I was always searching for some new blood donors for myself. Suzaku was unfortunate enough to be my next one. When I first confronted her, I was simply going to drink and run, but she put up a fight; I had no idea I was dealing with a mage, and a powerful one at that. She singed my cape a bunch of times.

Finally, I retaliated and thrust my dagger-like claws at her stomach, cutting deeply. By now, people had heard her screams and I had no time to take what I had come for. I looked back before I felt to see her; she was screaming and crying as though I had done more than simply wound her stomach. Then it hit me; she was with child.

I figured I had destroyed the baby and left, but something told me you weren't gone yet. And I was right; I followed your mother all around until that day at the hospital when you were born. I knew instantly that you weren't any ordinary child; you came out without a sound and I could instantaneously feel a strong energy coming from you.

It had the same feel as my power, but only slightly. It turns out that when I slashed your mother's stomach, I had hit you too and my blood mixed with yours. Over the years, I watched you from my crystal ball. When you were four you were the fastest runner in the family; the highest jumper too...

"You cannot say that you are like any other mage or human for that matter." Myotismon's explanation came to a close, and Lilith's jaw hung open.

"So what?!" she finally bellowed. "So some of my blood mingled with yours! That doesn't mean a thing! I'm nothing like you! You're a killer and a monster!" 

"Such harsh words," Myotismon continued to drawl. "Is this any way to treat your father?"

"You're _not _my father!" Lilith cried. "My father was Cairrio Tsutomo! The man you murdered!"

"_I _murdered?" he questioned. "He attacked me first." he grinned, "Though it _was _fun toying with him before I tore him apart." he started his pace toward Lilith.

Lilith, however, flung her arm out in front of her. "Come any closer and I'll hex you! I swear to God I will!" Lilith was panting with the effort to control herself and not blast her magic at Myotismon. 

"Hex me?" Myotismon then laughed, filling the large room with echoes that seemed to make a hundred Myotismons. "Please, child, your magics wouldn't work on me." Lilith shot a small fireball at his cape to prove him wrong; it singed it; Myotismon was enraged. "Why you little..."

He conjured up a red whip and cracked it at her with force. "Crimson Lightning!" Lilith dodged, but barely. "Lilith, before I destroy you, I'm giving you this one chance. Join me; together, our powers would be unstoppable. We could create a better Digital World; no pain and suffering." he held out his hand.

Lilith hesitated. Was Myotismon telling the truth? No! That's not possible; he's a liar and a deceiver! Lilith stared at Myotismon and slowly took a step back.

"Are you sure that's your decision?" he asked in a persuading tone. "Once you turn away from me, you cannot change your mind."

"I don't wanna be with you!" Lilith shouted. "All you cause is pain! Your very words are a poison! Your idea of a better Digital World is one where everyone and everything serves you!"

Myotismon sighed. "Alright then," he said. "Say good-bye." with that he created a ball of red light and hurled it at her. She leapt out of the way, though.

_Now what? _she asked herself. _I can't defeat him. Not on my own!_

You're not on your own, Lilith. You have me here with you. If you believe in yourself, I know you can beat him! Go for it! Sovereign cheered.

Lilith nodded. She stopped running and turned and faced Myotismon. "Aw, getting tired already, little mouse? But the cat's just getting started." He lunged for her, but Lilith thought fast, dodged, and blasted him with a ball of green light. Myotismon got up and made to run at her, but found himself going slower than a walking pace; Lilith had hexed him.

Grinning, Lilith ran forth and delivered a strong kicked to Myotismon's stomach, sending him smashing against a wall, and knowing that her hex had worn off. Myotismon was in a rage; he was losing to a flawed human! However, a plan had struck him and he smirked. Myotismon made another dash toward her. His plan worked; Lilith made to dodged, but at that moment, Myotismon thrust his arm out and grasped her around the throat.

He lifted her up high, watching her struggle uselessly. "Now, I'm going to watch you die slowly. You'll die staring up at the ceiling, wishing you could get away from me. Your wish will soon be granted."

Lilith gasped in what little air she could, grabbing Myotismon's arm and trying to pull him away. It was no use; even now her life and energy was slipping. Her vision began to blur. Her hands began to slip from Myotismon's arm because she was so weak. "Somebody help," she whispered.

As if answering her prayer, a ball of blue energy hit Myotismon's arm. Screaming, he dropped Lilith and cradled his wound. Lilith found herself being dragged away from the blurred blue and red figured. Then she could make out a familiar blue haired person over her. "Ken," she muttered, smiling.

"Hang in there, alright," she heard him say. "Ariyuki, get over here and do your stuff." She then saw another, lighter blue haired person over her. He placed his arms over her and began the healing process of restoring Lilith's energy.

While Ariyuki was at work, Ken and the others faced Myotismon. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he said.

_Ken, let me sock it to him, _Kaiser pleaded for the fifteenth time.

"No," Ken muttered so the others wouldn't hear. He then turned his attention back at Myotismon. "We defeated you twice already and we'll defeat you again!"

Myotismon laughed. "Go right ahead and try, children. I'm back again and worse than ever! Your worst fears are about to come true! This is one battle you cannot win!"

Ken and Myotismon stared each other down. "We'll see." he pointed his Digivice at Wormmon. "Digivolve!" 


	16. Myotismon Falls, and a Dangerous Strange...

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Alanoko, Merikah, Sovereign, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata, Kaiser (more to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. Alright, guys. I'm sorry, but for some reason, I can't center things anymore. It says I need HTML and I tried it, but the tags showed up on the fanfic. Oh, well...

Chapter Sixteen:

Myotismon Falls,

And a Dangerous Stranger

__

Born from Darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight.

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night.

With Lilith out of commission, the battle against Myotismon was going to be tough, and Ken knew that, but there was no turning back now. Ken and the others had to destroy Myotismon and keep him destroyed, though he wasn't quite sure how he was going to do that.

"Wormmon, Digivolve to...Stingmon!" the great insect Digimon soared into the air. Ken was astounded that Wormmon even _could _Digivolve. Myotismon must have uplifted the cloud of darkness.

_It's because he wants a good challenge, _Kaiser informed him. _That's the obvious part._

"What'd ya say, Neomon? Are we gonna let Stingmon have all the glory?" Ariyami said, aiming his Digivice at Neomon. "Crystal Digivolve!"

"Midori! Crystal Digivolve!" Ariyuki added. In no time the newly Digivolved Digimon flew to Stingmon's side.

"Now this is cute," said Myotismon. "You kids actually think you can beat me, don't you?"

"No, we don't think that," admitted Ken. "We _know _that!"

"Fools of children! You cannot truly kill me. I will always come back until I get what I want!" Myotismon told them smugly.

"I've had enough of this!" Midori told them. "Take this, you over-grown bat! Twilight Flash!"

Still smiling, Myotismon waved her attack away. "I'd like to see you knock this one away," said Shadowmon. He held his sword tightly, concentrating his energy. His blade and his entire body glowed and then shone a mystic purple. "_Psychic Dragon!_" He cried, thrusting his weapon high.

A gigantic, shrieking dragon made of pure energy erupted from Shadowmon's sword. Its great violet eyes stared at Myotismon, who was unable to believe what his own perceptiveness told him.

"Shadowmon's special move," Takeru breathed, astounded.

"Dragon, attack!" the Digimon ordered, pointing at Myotismon. Shrieking its war cry, it charged Myotismon, who was unable to move because of the dragon's petrifying gaze. He screamed as the dragon collided into him, spreading its electric energy all throughout him. 

Then it vanished and Myotismon was left kneeling. "I'm getting tired of your childish games," he muttered hotly to them. "It's time to take this to a higher level." He focused his energy as murky darkness filled all around them and seemed to enter Myotismon.

"Whatever," said Ariyami, creating his red beam sword. "Take this!" he charged Myotismon, only to find himself being flung back by the dark cloud around him and smashed against the wall. "Ow," he muttered before fainting.

"Great, there goes our last resort," murmured Yolei, pointing at Ariyami. "Now, if our Digimon fail, everything could be lost. And the other Digidestined around the world can't help us anymore, because they gave up their Digivices."

"Don't think like that," Ariyuki retorted, kneeling over Lilith to make sure she was okay. "Our Digimon won't fail. Not if we have hope and faith."

"The little guy's right," Davis told them all. "Myotismon tried to scare us all with his lame tricks before. It might have worked then, but it won't work now!" he aimed his Digivice at Veemon. "Digivolve!"

Now Exveemon had joined the group of Digimon. Soon, Aquilamon, Angemon, Angewomon, and Ankylomon had come to their side. "You just don't know when to give up." Myotismon said, chuckling.

Out of rage, Angemon leapt forth and attacked. "Hand of Fate!" he bellowed, sending his bright golden light straight at Myotismon. It had absolutely no effect except to make Myotismon laugh even harder.

"You're making this too difficult for yourselves," he told them. It happened with a snap of his fingers; the Digimon were in pain, shrieking and crying. Then, for some strange reason, they Digivolve downgraded. "You see, I could kill you all now, but you can avoid dying if you'd only give me what I want. All I ask for is Lilith. Give me her, and you'll all live, I give you my-"

"Be silent!" everyone heard Ken shout. He pointed at Myotismon. "I've had just about enough of your lies! It's beginning to make me sick to my stomach!"

"Is it just me," Davis asked the others quietly, "or is Ken acting different?"

"Your silly taunts aren't going to frighten me, Ichijouji," Myotismon informed. "I know you too well. You're just talk; all bark and no bite, like a puppy dog."

"Puppy dog?" Ken repeated, as though this was the greatest insult of his life. Then he laughed. "The last time a Digimon's had the courage to say that to me...I broke him in half."

The others couldn't help but stare at the words Ken was using. This didn't even seem like him anymore.

_I got this guy so mad, he's shaking. _Kaiser sniggered with delight. 

__

Just be careful, Kaiser. The other's are catching on. In fact, I think it's too late to try to cover you up anymore. They know this isn't me talking. Ken said to Kaiser.

_Alright then. No more hiding or holding back. I'm going to use my magic, Ken._ Kaiser brought himself back to reality. His eyes not leaving Myotismon's, he centered his power and brought out an amethyst colored beam sword, ignoring the gasps of the other Digidestined and Myotismon, and twirled it between his fingers.

"Where on Earth did you get that kind of power?" Myotismon inquired incredulously. "Only mages with intermediate power or more can do that."

"I'm exactly that." he then turned to the others. "I'm sorry, but I'm not Ken Ichijouji. I am the spirit inside his dark spore. Don't worry; you're safe with me. I don't know if I can beat Myotismon, but I can sure try. I'm Kaiser, if you must call me anything."

He turned back to Myotismon. "This battle with be your last, I swear by everything I hold dear!"

"Then let's see how you fight, spirit. Just you and me." he then bent down and touched the floor. A ring of purple fire surrounded Kaiser and Myotismon separating the others from them.

"Oh no, Ken!" Yolei cried.

_Kaiser, I don't know what we're suppose to do, _said Ken, clearly afraid.

_Don't be frightened, _Kaiser told him. _I'll get us out of here, I promise. I promised you wouldn't regret helping me, and I'll stick to that. You'll see._

"Are you ready for your final battle?" Myotismon asked, creating a blood red sword of his own.

"Bring it on, you monster," Kaiser retorted. Without warning, he charged first, making direct contact with Myotismon's blade, causing shards of power and lightning to strike everywhere. Myotismon threw him off and regained his composure. 

"Very impressive," Myotismon complimented. "Have you ever considered working for me?"

"I did," he told him, "Then I thought, 'Nah, I'd rather rip your innards out, stuff you with stuffing, and hang you on my wall'."

"Why you insolent little cur!" Myotismon bellowed.

"That's what they call me," Kaiser replied crudely.

"I've had enough of your cheek! You're going to die now!" before Ken or Kaiser knew it, Myotismon conjured bats out of thin air and practically shot them at him. "Grizzly Wing!"

_There's nowhere to go! _Kaiser told Ken in alarm. Just as he flung up his arms in hope to save his head, he heard a crystal-like sound and lowered his arms. Something blue and shiny was all around him; a force field.

_I've never seen one of these before, _Ken said in awe. Kaiser looked behind himself and found Lilith on her knees, holding some sort of stone tightly, her eyes shut, and chanting something in a strange language. _Kaiser! _Ken cried in alarm, _You have to make her stop! In her weakened condition, that spell could kill her!_

"Lilith, stop!" Kaiser bellowed to her. "Please, it'll kill you! Stop it now!" But Lilith wasn't listening. The spell she was chanting took up so much of her energy, she couldn't afford to listen to anything. "Make her stop," Kaiser told the others, "She'll die if she keeps it up."

Yolei ran to Lilith to shake her, but by the time she reached her, Lilith dropped the stone and collapsed. "_Lilith!_" Kaiser screamed. He noticed, upon gazing around himself, that the shield was beginning to fade. Kaiser cursed and stared at the laughing Myotismon. "You'll pay for that!" he threatened.

"Whatever did I do?" Myotismon asked. "_She's _the one who used up all of her energy just to keep that force field." Myotismon then created a blood red whip. "I think I'll finish you with my favorite attack."

"Bring it on!" Kaiser repeated, devoting this fight to Lilith. "She gave her life in a final act of courage just to help us. In her name, I'll defeat you and show no mercy!"

"Please," drawled Myotismon. "I think it'll be me who will have to show mercy to you." 

Kaiser, enraged, made a dark blue ball of light and threw it at Myotismon with a high amount of force, but Myotismon dodged and countered, leaping forward and landing a punch on Kaiser's face, sending him reeling backward and almost into the fire. _That was close, _Ken commented.

_Well, it won't happen again, _Kaiser assured him. He jumped back into the fray, and the vicious sword battle began. Kaiser's beam blade would connect with Myotismon's with such force that they would both be sent backward. Aerial tactics were also taken into play as they would dive attack each other and barely miss. Finally, Kaiser did a bluff, striking at Myotismon, missing on purpose, then sending a ray of lilac energy toward his foe, coming into contact with his back, and making him scream in agony.

"You'll pay for that one, you little fiend!" he bellowed, not noticing how torn up his back was.

"How does it feel to be the one torn apart?" Kaiser mocked. "You've caused far too much pain and torment to continue on. It's time to pay, and pay with your life!"

Kaiser charged Myotismon again and slashed his stomach. Myotismon screamed in the new pain that he hadn't felt in a very long time. However, the tables turned greatly when Kaiser assaulted Myotismon again; Myotismon thought quickly and blasted Kaiser with a ray of green light, sending him on his back. Kaiser now began to panic; he couldn't move. He was paralyzed! 

Myotismon stood, pleased with himself. He stood over the frozen boy who stared up at him with hatred. "That's a face I'll remember after you die. What a wonderful look," Myotismon smirked, then landed a kick to Kaiser's side, driving him five feet back, and winding him.

Kaiser gasped in pain and surprise. For the first time, for the first _painful _time, he had to admit he was helpless. He then felt Myotismon's hands on the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground and high into the air. All he could do was watch Myotismon laugh and wait for the final blow to be delivered.

Everything stopped, however, when Myotismon was thrown away and dropped Kaiser. Now he could move; the curse was broken. Kaiser leapt up and saw his rescuer. Lilith, or someone within Lilith. Her eyes were different, colder-looking and just different.

"Sovereign," Kaiser said, approaching her. "Thanks. How did you get in the fire?"

"I'm a Spellcaster mage, remember? I can do all sorts of things. Oh, and don't worry about Lilith. Her soul's still alive, but she's exhausted. I decided to come out and help," Sovereign spoke in a smarty-pants kind of tone; a tone Kaiser liked.

"Well, beating this freak oughta be easier now that there are two of us." Kaiser watched, impressed, as Sovereign created a black beam sword and tested it by swinging it around.

Just then Myotismon leapt up and stared at the two mages. "I've had just about enough of you magical creatures!" he bellowed. "I'll destroy you all!"

"How many times have I heard this?" Sovereign asked, sighing.

Then Myotismon grinned. "Children; they think they know everything. However, they know so little it's amusing."

"What are you flapping your yap about now?" Kaiser wanted to know, glaring at the dark Digimon.

"This," Myotismon shot his long arms underground. In the next instant red cords blasted up out of the ground and constricted themselves around Kaiser and Sovereign. The vines were so tight, Kaiser could hardly breath. "You know," Myotismon began, "I think your friends oughta see this. Watching their only hope die out should be fun." Myotismon snapped his fingers and the purple fire disappeared.

Ariyuki, gasped at the sight of his friends being squeezed to death. "Midori," he said, "Crystal Digivolve and stop him!"

Midori looked as if she were trying with all her energy, but couldn't. "I-I can't, Ariyuki. I don't know why, but I can't."

Myotismon laughed. "Of course you can't. Here, your crystal power is cut off now; can't take any chances. Only digivolving can work here," he glanced at the other Digidestined, "and how can you hope to digivolve without these?" he held up a basket of digivices.

"How did you get those?!" Davis demanded, shocked like the others.

"I have many talented pick-pockets around here, mister Motomiya." Myotismon replied. "I'm not even worried about those two"-he pointed at Ariyuki and Ariyami-"because their Digimon can't even digivolve."

Kaiser gasped for air. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe, and he knew Sovereign was dealing with the same hardship. He became even more afraid when he thought about Ken. If he died, Ken's soul would be lost forever.

_Ken, I'm losin' it, _he moaned in his mind.

_Please, Kaiser, don't give in! You have to fight! Please! _Ken cried.

_I just can't, Ken. My energy's almost gone. _

"We have to do something!" Ariyuki shouted at the others.

"What _can _we do, Ariyuki?" Yolei asked, frightened. "Our Digimon can't digivolve without our digivices, and your Digimon can't digivolve period!"

"I'm not gonna sit here and watch my brother and friend get killed!" Ariyuki retorted. "I'm gonna attack him myself!"

"Ariyuki, that's reckless and stupid!" Takeru bellowed to him, but Ariyuki held his ground.

"I don't care! Davis does reckless things all the time! Now it's my turn! I'm gonna save my brother! Besides, I'm almost immortal; nothing can kill me." Ariyuki added, grinning.

"Ariyuki, your nine lives have just about run out. You only got off lucky those other times," Kari told him.

"Well, maybe I'll get lucky again. I don't care what it takes! I'm saving my brother now! I _know_ that I can save him!" Ariyuki took one step forward, but stopped in his tracks when he realized that Midori and his white digivice was glowing. "Huh?"

"Ariyuki, I can feel power coming to me!" Midori told him. "It's different this time.I think...I think I'm-"

Ariyuki already understood. He pointed his digivice at Midori. "_Digivolve_!"

Bright green light surrounded Midori and rose higher. "Kailomon, Digivolve to..." At first, a human-like form began to take shape. Then they could make out a thin, girlish black hand; the other one was black, but seemed to be like some sort of weapon was attached to the arm. Then next thing they saw was hip-length orange-red hair and large orange eyes.

Large green ears or antennae could be seen at the top of her head, and they could make out two pairs of transparent wings, like that of a dragonfly. "_Stingaraymon_!" She seemed like a female version of Stingmon. A thin, girlish figure, and a woman's voice, similar to Mysticmon's.

"Wow," Ariyuki breathed, watching his majestic emerald Digimon fly overhead. 

She landed elegantly in front of Myotismon. "I demand that you release my friends." she seemed to be asking nicely.

"Really?" Myotismon looked at this champion level Digimon and laughed. "I suppose you're going to attack me with your super sting attack if I don't agree?" he laughed even harder at his own taunt.

Stingaraymon scoffed at his arrogance and held her right hand up, the one with the strange black thing attached to it. In an instant, an amethyst energy sword shot out of it. With one slash she destroyed the cords restraining and choking her friends. "Run now," she told them, "I'll take care of him."

"Oh, is that right?" Myotismon asked, still shaking from laughter while Kaiser and Sovereign ran to their friends. "You're but a champion level Digimon whereas I am an ultimate. You've got no chance."

"I normally wouldn't," she said, "but I couldn't help but notice how extremely protective you are about that amulet you're wearing. Yes, that golden one." she pointed her purple sword at his chest.

"How did you see that?" he demanded.

"My large eyes can see more than you think," she explained. Then, she brought her sword arm swinging upward at Myotismon's chest, cutting him, and sending the necklace to the ground, shattering. It was like breathing fresh air again; all around, darkness seemed to be disappearing. "You may all Digivolve now, I think you'll see."

Sure enough, "Stingmon, Digivolve!" and in no time the tall insect took to the air, his four wings beating quickly.

"Veemon, Digivolve!" Davis added. Then Exveemon took to the sky. 

"Let's do this, Davis!" Ken shouted, holding his digivice up high, Davis doing the same.

"Exveemon..."

"Stingmon..."

"DNA Digivolve to...Paildramon!" Now Myotismon knew things were going to be tough. This Digimon was bigger than him, and much stronger. He knew he'd have to digivolve himself.

"It's been a while since I've seen you," he told Paildramon.

"We could say the same to you," he responded. "We hoped never to see you again."

"As did I, but we can't always get what we want, now can we?" Myotismon then grinned. "If you're going to digivolve, perhaps I should digivolve as well."

"Oh, no," Ken muttered.

"Myotismon, Dark Digivolve to...Malomyotismon!" Now he was even more hideous than Piedmon. The features that stood out the most were the two mouths on either side of his shoulders.

"That's just disgusting!" cried a newly awoken Ariyami. "How on Earth can you eat with three mouths?! Chop two of them off!"

"You're as cheeky as Kaiser, boy," Malomyotismon murmured to him. "I think you'll go first!"

"Try it," Ariyami mocked.

"No, Ariyami!" Ken stood in the way. "For once, you can't be our defender. You have to sit on the sidelines. Let us do the job."

It was obvious that Ken and the spirit inside, whoever he was, had switched places again. Ariyami gave Ken a dirty look, but agreed. "What should I do then?"

"Protect Ariyuki," Ken replied. 

Ariyuki's face fell. "Why do I always have to be protected?" he whined.

"Because you're the youngest and most vital if someone gets hurt," Ariyami told him, making him feel more important.

"Ken, Davis, we'll take care of this!" Paildramon told both boys. "Let's get 'em!" Paildramon charged Malomyotismon and opened fire with the guns at his side. "Desperado Blaster!" It actually affected the giant monster; he backed away and grunted, obviously surprised.

"Guys!" Ariyami shouted. "I have an idea! Let's all of our Digimon DNA Digivolve and attack! Try to hold him in place. Sovereign, do you know any spells that could really do some damage?"

Sovereign racked her and Lilith's brain for a spell. "Well, there's always a good old-fashioned hex. The right one could deliver a powerful beam of energy and...it's pretty devastating."

"It's the best thing we've got. Ken, we're gonna need you over here! Ariyuki, now listen to me. We need you to give your energy in this too, okay?" Ariyami said. Ariyuki nodded. "Good; Sovereign, we need you too."

"Alright, alright. I'm in."

"Terrific!" Ariyami clapped his hands.

"So, we make our Digimon DNA Digivolve, huh?" Cody asked.

"Yes."

"Then lets do this!" Takeru cried.

In little to no time there were three large and powerful Digimon in the air: Shakkoumon, Sylphymon, and Paildramon. "What little plan do you children have now?" Malomyotismon asked in a taunting tone. When he saw the looks of all the Digimon, however, he became uneasy; then...

"_Now_!" Ariyami cried.

"Static Force!"

"Clay Bomb!

"Desperado Blaster!"

All three attacks hit their target. He cried in agony and fury, while the mages down below prepared their final assault. To make the magical bond stronger, they had to join hands. A light sapphire radiance flowed around them as the four mages focused on their power; this had to work; this _must _work!

"This ends now, Malomyotismon!" Ken cried. "Now, everyone!" In a mighty blast of sapphire light, it engulfed Malomyotismon, consuming every ounce of energy they had; Myotismon's screams could not go unheard.

"_Nooooooo!_" they all heard him cry as the entire room shook with the tremendous amount of power being released at once. Then, everything went white. Everything grew calm; still, full of deafening silence.

Ken was the first to awaken. He gazed bemusedly around, and saw the large room in ruins. He also noticed his friends lying all around, unconscious. Ken stumbled to his feet and staggered around, trying to regain his balance.

A sudden moaning from somewhere caught his attention. He ran over to a small slab of rock and removed it. Little Ariyuki lay there, tired and bruised, but able to smile. In his arms was little Midori; he had protected her with his own body. Ken managed to help him to his feet.

"You okay?" was the first thing he asked his little brother. Ariyuki simply nodded.

Ken also found Lilith, lying right in the middle of the room, and in the worst condition. Her arms and legs were bruised and bleeding, and her face was cut from the rocks. Though Ariyuki was weak, he was still able to heal her enough to walk.

Ken soon found the rest; Kari was hardly hurt, save for a small cut on her knee. Davis was also buried under rubble, Cody being protected by his body; both fine. Takeru had a slightly damaged arm, but was still able to walk and laugh. Ken couldn't find Ariyami for a while, though.

He soon discovered him buried under five feet of stone ruin, but perfectly fine. Only Lilith seemed to have taken any real damage. Their Digimon were all huddled in one spot and in the best condition of all of them. The only person no one was able to find was Malomyotismon.

It seemed like he had disappeared off the face of both worlds. He was finally gone. Though this was their greatest victory ever, it was hard to cheer; everyone was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. While everyone prepared to go, Ken turned around and spotted Lilith lagging behind, apparently staring at something.

"What's up?" Ken asked, walking to her. 

"Nothing really," she replied. "Just tired; I can't wait to get home."

"I hear that," Ken told her laughingly. Ken noticed Lilith had a blue handkerchief to her cheek. She was obviously still bleeding.

While Ken ran up to be with the others, Lilith frowned and dug around her pocket, extracting a flawless red jewel. She had found it lying in a corner just a few minutes ago. It was hidden under some rubble, but it was impossible to miss because of its glittering in the small light. It was odd that she'd find a jewel in the Digital World, and she didn't know why it was hiding there, but took it all the same. Then she scooped Nekomata up and heading back home with the others.

It was five days later...Lilith stretched and yawned in the sunlight. Finally it was Friday! School was out for a whole two months! Summer Vacation was the best holiday in the world in Lilith's opinion. She couldn't help but whistle as she sauntered home.

The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and a few clouds in the sky made shadows around some places where she tread. With the soft wind ruffling her hair, Lilith felt as though nothing could go wrong; the small cut on her face was almost gone and the feeling that no more harm would come to the Digital World made her even happier. Her thoughts were disrupted, however, when she passed a cave to her left. She stopped and stared at it.

This was the old sacred cave where rituals to worship the gods used to be held many years ago. People used to be able to still go in there and gaze around, but now it was closed for good due to constant ceiling collapses, which was too bad, because Lilith had always wanted to go in there, and now she couldn't. She stared at the old cave for a while, then began to press on. She was stopped, however, by a strange noise coming from the sacred cave.

"Huh?" she drew near it. The sound was similar to a cat's wail, but sounded alarmed and frantic. Was a cat lost and in trouble down there? "Hello!" she called. "Here, kitty, kitty!" before she knew what she was doing, she treaded down the stone steps, deep into the cave.

"Here, kitty cat! Hello!" Strangely enough, there were torches lit down there, and, judging by the recent-looking footsteps, she wasn't the only person down in the cave. It seemed more like an underground maze, however. There were difficult twists and turns, and more steps leading downward. Lilith kept listening for the meowing, and following its voice.

Finally her journey lead her to a dead end room with torches all around. It seemed like someone was camping or staying here. She was so distracted by the room, that she hadn't noticed someone was in it, and just a few feet in front of her. When she saw the person she jumped.

He was a pale young-looking man with long dark hair that was in a ponytail, save for his long bangs that hung around his face. He also wore small found glasses and was handsome. He seemed like a dark version of Fennel. "Hello," he said simply, smiling. "Can I help you with something?"

Lilith, getting over her shock, loosened her throat. "I-I'm looking for a cat. Have you seen one around here, or does he belong to you?"

"That meddlesome creature I keep seeing? No, he's not mine. Doesn't even look like a cat, really. Now, I have to ask you to leave, unless you want to end up "Missing and Missed" in the newspaper."

Was he threatening her? Lilith glared at him and turned away, but the man noticed something dangling from her neck that glinted in the torch light. "Girl, come back here!" he ordered. Lilith turned back around; the man gasped as soon as he saw the red pendant she was wearing. "Where did you get that?!" he nearly bellowed.

Lilith was now scared. He seemed ready to hurt her. "I found it! What business is it of yours?"

"Give it to me, _now_!" he approached her quickly. Lilith thought fast, drew a small blue bag out of her pocket, and threw some powder on the ground in front of him. Flames sprouted out, separating him from here. He growled like an impatient tiger.

"Yes, I should have known only a mage could wear it and not die. Give that jewel to me. You have no use for it!" he now began to bellow again.

"There's no way!" Lilith yelled at him. "You obviously want it to use it for evil! I'll defend it with everything I have!"

The man then began to laugh. "Very well then." with the snapping of his fingers he made the flame wall disappear. He then began conjuring up a ball of bright purple light. "Prepare to defend yourself, girl! This is the battle that will end you!" 


	17. Hello Cairrio

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Sovereign, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata (more to come in future chapters) I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. Alright! This is getting me mad! I mean, I did the tags right, but nothing's working! I don't know why; it could be that I'm using Microsoft Word Processor or something, but I'm not going to bother with centering things anymore! It just won't work and I don't wanna fight with it anymore! Sorry...

Chapter Seventeen:

Hello Cairrio

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight,

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night.

The man with dark hair held the amethyst ball in his hand, continuing to stare at Lilith, while she wondered what was so important about the jewel that she had made a pendant out of. "Listen, I don't know what you want this pendant for, but you don't need to resort to killing someone for it."

"Oh, yes I do." he replied. "You don't understand what kind of powers that thing can wield if used properly."

"Probably something bad. You're not going to get it from me."

The man snarled and hurled the purple ball of energy at her. She jumped out of the way and countered with a caging hex, but he blocked it.

Lilith wanted to call upon Sovereign for help, but since there was no spirit magic about, she couldn't. Instead she pointed at a torch full of fire. "Power of Magic, come to me!" she shouted to it. The fire in the torch instantly came to float above her hand.

"Ah," said the dark man. "You're a mage of The Order, or your parents were, anyway."

"How did you know that?" she asked, keeping her fire in play.

"That's their mark chant. Only mages who were from The Order, or were taught from The Order use that chant." he told her.

"Well, then, what kind of mage realm are you from?" Lilith asked, momentarily forgetting about her battle with him.

"I am from no mage realm," he said. "My magic was a mistake, you could say; an unsolvable event. My brothers and I each had it. One of them is gone now, but he was a fool anyway."

"How could you say something like that about your own brother?" Lilith cried, the fire in her hand blazing even brighter. Lilith had to work her self control so the fire wouldn't get out of hand.

"Careful, little mage," he warned her, "Wouldn't want you to burn yourself."

Lilith felt totally insulted. To be treated like a five year old who couldn't control her own powers; it was the worst thing someone could ever say to a mage. Lilith gave a warning shot right at the man's feet with the fire in her hand, singeing his boots and infuriating him.

"You mangy little fiend!" he roared at her. He created a ball of red light and shot it at her, nearly hitting her ankles. He then smirked and held out his hand, a small bit of red light shining in it.

Lilith nodded and held out her hand. Blue light shone. The man had challenged her to a duel, and she accepted. They then snapped the power out of their hands and conjured orbs of energy; the man's was red and Lilith's was blue. Then, without warning, both of them shot their power at each other.

Lilith's orb hit the young man's shoulder, and his orb didn't hit her at all; her one handed flip into the air saved her. Then, however, he launched another sphere of red energy at her, and hit her arm, causing her to lose balance and hit the ground with a thud. Her arm hurting terribly, she got unsteadily to her feet.

Cradling his shoulder, the man approached her, holding his hand out. "Now, girl, just give me the jewel, and you won't be hurt!"

"There's no way!" she retorted, backing away.

"Then this is the part where you die in vain," he snarled. He concentrated both of his hands and began forming an orb of terrible power.

Lilith readied herself; if he fired that orb at her, she'd be able to dodge it. Then she heard a sound behind her and looked back. A small black cat was standing there, shaking, its eyes clamped shut; it was afraid. If she dodged out of the way now, the blast would hit the cat and kill it. She faced the man again and saw he was ready to fire at her.

With a yell, he did. Lilith braced herself for the blast. She held her arms in front of her and created a mild, but fairly durable shield. The second the wave of energy made contact with the shield, however, the barrier shattered and Lilith was tossed backwards onto the ground.

The man laughed. "Ha, you think you can handle the strength of that jewel, yet you can't even dodge a measly attack such as that?" he stopped laughing, however, when he laid eyes on the quivering cat. "I see," he suddenly drawled, "It's not that you couldn't dodge, it's simply that you chose not to." he stared at the cat and laughed at it, "The mighty has fallen, eh?"

Lilith stared up at the man from the floor with hatred, and he in turn stared back at her. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. "Don't worry. I think I'll let you keep that stone for now. I have a feeling that things will begin to get interesting. I _know _I'll meet you again, young Digidestined. Oh, and make sure that little one returns the act of kindness." he pulled a small bottle of something and threw it to Lilith, who caught it, though confused.

Lilith gazed at the man walking away with shock. "Hey, wait!" she scrambled to her feet and made to go after him, but he seemed to disappear right out of thin air. Lilith stood there, numb with both shock and the aftermath of pain, more scrapes and future bruises to tend to once she got home. She pocketed the little bottle and turned to leave when she remembered that cat.

It was now sitting on the floor, staring up at her with its great blue eyes in wonder. It allowed Lilith to pick it up; when she got a good look at the cat in the torch light, she gasped. This certainly didn't look like any cat. Its ears were too long and it had two tails.

It didn't even sound like a cat, for when she picked the creature up, it made a soft trilling noise. It seemed to be afraid of Lilith at first, but soon it was patting her short red hair with its ink black paws and chirping with delight. Lilith couldn't help but laugh at this cute little creature.

"Let's go home," she told the animal which turned out to be a male. He made a high-pitch purring sound and snuggled against her chest as she carried him out of the sacred cave.

During the journey home, now out in the bright sunlight, Lilith examined the small creature more. His black fur was sleek and silky soft. His entire body fit in both of her hands. "You're a strange little thing, you know," she told him, holding him out in front of her. He clicked with his tongue in response, wiggling around a bit.

Soon, after trudging in the hot, murderous sun, Lilith found herself and the creature walking up the stone steps leading to the front yard of her house. "This is my home," she told the small animal. "It's nice and roomy, and I think you and Nekomata, my cat will get along quite well." She opened the front door and stepped into the cool shelter and air conditioning of her house.

"Lyle, I'm home!" she shouted, shutting the door, kicking off her shoes and socks, and slipping on her moon and star slippers. To her surprise, the little animal suddenly leapt onto her right shoulder. "Hello, you," she cooed to him. "I got a new pet!" she added to the quiet house.

Then she heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Soon, Lyle emerged coming down the steps. "Really?" he asked. "What kind is it?"

"I'm not really sure," she replied, holding the animal out for her blond brother to see. "I found him, strange enough, in that old closed cave, and-"

"You didn't go in there?" he suddenly asked, taking his attention off the cat-like creature.

"Lyle, he was crying help. Weren't you?" she added to the little one, scratching his head.

"Oy," muttered Lyle, trudging to the living room and plopping down on the sofa. "Lilith, how am I suppose to protect you when you're running around trying to get yourself killed?"

Lilith, however, wasn't really paying attention. She was too preoccupied with her new little pet. She slowly walked upstairs to her room, cradling the little animal in her arms. "C'mon, I want you to meet Nekomata." Lilith pushed her door open and stepped inside, spying Nekomata on her bed. "Hey, Neko," she said, plopping on her soft bed.

Nekomata saw the new creature that was now exploring the bed. _Lilith, where did you get him?_

"I found him in a cave. Isn't he cute?" Lilith picked the cat-like animal up and rubbed her nose against his, causing him to pat her head with his velvety paws and lick her face. "I just don't know what kind of animal he is. He could be from the realm of The Order, don't ya think?"

_Highly doubtful, _was her reply, watching and listening to the trilling and whistling coming from the new animal. 

"Why does he make those sounds?" Lilith asked.

_He's trying to communicate, _she replied. _He's only a newborn-_

But then Lyle's voice rang from downstairs. "Lilith! Help! I don't know how to work this thing!"

Lilith sighed. "Lyle's trying to work the blender again." So she, Nekomata, and the new pet all ran downstairs. When Lilith had reached the kitchen, she discovered the blender on the floor, shaking and moving out of control, and Lyle keeping his distance and aiming his gun at it.

"Lilith, how do ya stop it?!" Lyle cried.

"You pull the cord out," she replied tartly, approaching the plug. At that moment, though, the rogue blender actually came after her, its blades inside spinning menacingly. Lilith jumped out of the way just as it almost caught her foot in its mouth, and instead began tearing its own plug in two. The blender then stopped and died.

The entire house and its residence were silent. Then Nekomata moved toward the blender and sniffed it. When its foul stench reached her nose, she backed away and hissed. _It was hexed! _she cried. _Someone's playing spells against us! _

"I'll bet you it was that guy," Lilith muttered.

"What guy?" Lyle then asked.

"There was an odd man that I met in that cave. He tried to kill me so he could get this." she showed Lyle the pendant.

"Isn't that the gem you found in the Digital World?"

"Yeah." Everyone was so uptight that they jumped when the phone rang. "I'll get it," said Lilith, her hand over her heart. She picked up the phone that was hanging on the wall. "Hello?"

"_Hi, Lilith. It's Ken._"

__

"Oh, hi, Ken. How are you?" Lilith replied cheerfully, forgetting about nearly having her foot torn off by the blender.

"_Just fine. You know, school's out, no homework, I can sleep in. This is the best I've felt in a long time,_" Ken told her, yawning over the phone.

"I know what you mean," she said, remembering the blender. Lilith suddenly remembered something from five days ago. "Ken?"

"_Yeah?_"

"I seem to remember back when we were fighting Myotismon, you acted different, like someone else was with you. Uh-"

"_Yeah, you're right._" Ken interrupted. "_His name is Kaiser. Like Sovereign, he's going to help us._"

"You know about-?"

"_Yes, I know about Sovereign. Kaiser told me all about her. It's nothing to worry about._" Ken assured her.

"Oh, okay then." Lilith sighed, feeling relieved.

"_Anyway, the reason I called was Ariyuki, Ariyami, and I were all going to Keichoe's today for some ice cream and we wanted to know if you wanted to come._" 

"Sure!" Lilith practically yelled. "I'll be there soon. In about an hour. Bye!"

"That sounded pleasant," noted Lyle as Lilith hung up the phone. "What's goin' on?"

"Ken and his brothers are just going to get some ice cream at Keichoe's. They wanted to know if I could come." 

"Sure, but I want you to clear off the living room coffee table first; it's a mess," said Lyle, standing up and petting Lilith's hair.

"Where are you going?" Lilith asked, noticing him pulling on his jacket.

"I need to get to work, Lilith," Lyle told her. "I can't be loafing around home when there's some poor person who might need my help in finding someone or solving a mystery."

"Kay," mumbled Lilith, dully waving good-bye to her brother, who shut the door on his way out. The little cat creature ran to the door and began sticking his paw under it, clicking his tongue, one of his tails waving around. "He's gone to work," Lilith said to him, "and probably won't be home until ten."

Lilith sauntered into the living room and began clearing off the small table, the cat creature sitting on the couch and watching her with interest, trilling ever now and then. When Lilith was finished with her chore, she dropped herself on the long sofa, sighing, then laying down. The small critter then walked up her until he was standing on her chest and examining her face where her eyes were shut. He purred loudly to get Lilith's attention; she opened one of her eyes and giggled. She then sat up and held the little creature out in front of her.

"Ya know, you need to have a name," she informed him. "The problem is, what should I call you?" he tilted his head at her and chirped. Lilith laughed and looked up at a shelf above the television with pictures standing on it. One of them was a photo of the entire family, identical to the one in her room.

She then spotted her father in the picture, smiling for the camera, little Lilith in his arms. "I know," she whispered. "I'll name you Cairrio, after my father. Alright, Cairrio?"

He hummed in excitement and licked Lilith's face again. "Now, I wonder what kind of creature you are."

_Isn't it obvious? _sounded Nekomata, leaping onto the coffee table.

"Hey, I just washed that!" Lilith snapped, shooing Nekomata off the table. "Isn't what obvious?"

_Hmm, _muttered Nekomata, now jumping onto the soft cushioned couch, _Unusual voice, extremely long ears, two tails...These are all evident signs of what?_

Lilith didn't even need to think about it. "He's a Digimon!" she held Cairrio out in front of her. "Aren't you?"

_Don't ask him; he can't give you an answer you'll_ _understand, _Nekomata informed her. _He's a newborn. _Cairrio tilted his head at Lilith and trilled softly.

"Huh, I thought all Digimon could talk, even the babies," said Lilith, also tilting her head at Cairrio.

_Some are born with a complicated voice box. It normally means, in superstitious terms, that he'll grow up to be an intellectual, a very smart Digimon._

"Well, he wasn't using his head when he was walking right into that cave," noted Lilith, watching as Cairrio chased and tried to catch one of his tails on the sofa. Then he stopped and stared at Lilith, chirping and demanding attention. "What kind of Digimon is he?" 

_Beats me, _Nekomata replied, shrugging. 

"Anyway, you're saying that Cairrio will eventually be able to talk, huh?" Lilith scratched Cairrio's head and stroked his back.

_Yes, _Nekomata stared at Cairrio with jealousy. Then she rubbed herself against Lilith for attention. Lilith sighed as she scratched behind Nekomata's ears. After about ten minutes of playing servant to Nekomata and Cairrio, Lilith stood up and walked toward the door.

Cairrio then ran after her as she slipped on and clipped her shoes. He lost balance, however, and collided right into the door. "Oh, Cairrio," Lilith murmured as she swept the baby Digimon up. "You've gotta be careful how you move, little guy." she then set Cairrio back on the ground. "See ya later, Neko!"

_Good day, Lilith, _called Nekomata, _I'll watch over the little one for you._

With that, Lilith ran out the door, shutting it behind her. The sun was now behind the clouds, making the weather more cool and enjoyable. The walk toward Tokyo was easy and relaxing, and the thought of seeing Ken and his brothers for the first time in almost a week made her even more excited. It didn't take Lilith long to find the Ichijouji boys; they were on their way to the ice cream shop, about three blocks away when she found them.

"Hey, guys!" she called after them. "What's up?"

"Nuthin' much," replied Ariyami, placing his hands behind his head and grinning.

"Great timing," Ken remarked, smiling. "Did you bring yourself any money, 'cause if you didn't we can buy for you."

"Nonsense," said Lilith. "Since when does Lilith Tsutomo _not _bring money?" So, the four of them strolled around the block, making their way to Keichoe's. 

Just as the ice cream parlor came into view, Ariyuki, surprised but pleased, saw Aruanna and Muruha sitting at one of the umbrella-shaded tables, Aruanna starting on a malt, and Muruha hastily munching an ice cream bar. "Miss Aruanna! Mister Muruha!" Ariyuki cried, running up to them while the other three hung back.

"Why, hello, Ariyuki," said Aruanna sweetly, her silver hair shaded from the sunlight. "How are you today? Enjoying the start of Summer Vacation?"

"Yep!" Ariyuki replied energetically as Ken, Lilith, and Ariyami all sat down with the three.

"Hello, Ken," Aruanna added to him. "Lilith, how are you? Uh, do I know you?" she asked Ariyami.

"Don't think so," he replied. "Name's Ariyami. Nice to meet ya." he held out his hand and Aruanna shook it.

"So, Ken," came Muruha's voice, "Ariyuki's told me a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet the boy genius." he held out his own hand for Ken to shake. Blushing, he did.

This was Ken's first time meeting Muruha, though Ariyuki's told him how funny he can be at times. "Do you work at the school too?" Ken wanted to know.

"Sure do," he replied. "I work at the office at the school, uh...mainly filing papers."

"Yes, but no one's as neat as you," Aruanna complimented, grinning.

"Well," said Lilith for the first time, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" so she and Ariyuki ran to the stand for something to eat while Ken chatted with the adults. Soon Ariyuki came back with the same marshmallow and chocolate shake and Lilith with a large banana split, scaring Aruanna and Muruha.

"Don't ask," Ken said as soon as Muruha opened his jaw. "It's complicated."

After the treats were eaten and the sun was still out, all six of them decided to go for a walk in the park. They strolled through the large and beautiful garden, admiring the gorgeous floral designs. 

While the four boys walked ahead and discussed computers, Lilith and Aruanna stayed behind, each exchanging words. "Aruanna," said Lilith abruptly.

"Yes?"

"I...I keep sensing something in you; I dunno. It's just...different."

"I understand," Aruanna replied. "I guess it could be loneliness. Or, it could be...knowledge."

"Knowledge?" Lilith replied. "Of what?"

"I guess, of my past. Lilith, do you think one has control of their destiny?" Aruanna asked bluntly.

"Sure. I think there are thousands of destinies for each person. I guess they have to choose from one."

"Well, it's those choices you make that makes you who you are. People have to choose; who are they going to be? What side will they fight for? _What _will they fight for, and so on. I guess, you could say, I didn't make such good choices in the past, and now I have to live with them...forever." Aruanna looked grave, as though her end was near.

Lilith looked sympathetic. "That's not true, Aruanna," she said. "Everyone makes bad choices. Take Ken for example: he made many bad decisions in the past, but he managed to beat back his self hate and straighten himself out."

"How?" Aruanna asked, turning her head down to Lilith.

"With the help of his friends and his parents. They showed him that he wasn't alone, and that he didn't have to fight alone," Lilith smiled at Aruanna, who looked puzzled, but understanding as well. "Well, I'd better start heading home now. It's getting dark."

Lilith said good-bye to Ken and the boys, then began to take off. "Remember, it's never too late to make a change," she told Aruanna, and left.

Once home, Lilith said hello to Nekomata and Cairrio (who kept dancing around her ankles), and afterward headed into the bathroom for a nice warm shower. After cleaning herself, Lilith changed into her blue stars pajamas and brushed her very red hair until it was tangle-free. Then, after grabbing a cream soda out of the fridge in the kitchen, and a bowl of chips for a snack, Lilith went back upstairs to her quiet, tidy bedroom, which had a main feature of blue, her favorite color. She sat at her computer and began scouting the internet for anything new or amazing; nothing.

Feeling strange, as though her energy had been drained from her, Lilith flumped on her bed, laying on her back. Fingering her red pendant, Lilith rewound in her head that one thing Aruanna said. '_Well, it's those choices you make that makes you who you are. People have to choose; who are they going to be? What side will they fight for? _What _will they fight for, and so on..._'

No longer able to stay awake, Lilith sighed and fell into an uneasy sleep, still holding the red jewel. She dreamt that Cairrio was killed by Myotismon, then all her friends. She tried summoning her magic, but she had none. She screamed as the last thing she saw was a flash of red light. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly in bed, dislodging Cairrio who had settled himself on Lilith's chest.

He stared up at her and clicked, wondering what was wrong with her. Lilith stared at Cairrio, then swept him up into a hug, thankful that it was all just a nightmare. She then checked her clock on the nightstand; only an hour had passed since she fell asleep. Cairrio began to lick Lilith's face in affection, trying to make her feel better.

She was so terrified from her dream that she jumped when she heard her doorknob jiggle. Lyle came in, an expression of slight worry on his face. "You okay, Lily?" I heard you screaming from downstairs just when I got in. Then William came running in, his eyes wild, searching for the offender who was trying to hurt Lilith.

"It's a false alarm, Will," Lilith assured him. "I just had a really bad nightmare, that's all. Really."

"Sheesh, Lilith, from the way you were screaming, I thought you were attacked by someone," William complained, rubbing the back of his neck and leaving. 

When Lyle said good-bye and shut the door, Lilith fell back on the bed, scratching Cairrio's fluffy black head. Cairrio, purring like a cat, curled up on Lilith's chest again and went back to sleep. Soon, after pulling her blankets over her head, Lilith fell back into a dreamless sleep.

The next day Lilith awoke to find Cairrio gone. She ran from her room and searched the house, slightly panicked, only to find him sitting on the couch with Nekomata. _Morning, Sunshine,_ Nekomata said cheerfully, noticing Lilith's tousled hair and sleepy eyes. _Sleep well?_

"Well enough," was her yawning reply. After glancing at her wrist watch and finding out it was 10:46 a.m., Lilith went into the kitchen for some breakfast. Sitting at the table, drinking her milk, Lilith spied the little bottle of something from that man who told her to give it to Cairrio. Curious, Lilith stood up and went back into the living room, minute bottle in hand. 

"Cairrio," she called, sitting beside him. "See this bottle, I want you to drink what's in it, okay?" the little Digimon stared at the container, then nodded, trilling. "Alright." Nervously, Lilith uncorked the bottle and told Cairrio to open his mouth. Cautiously, praying that this stuff wasn't poison, Lilith poured the contents down Cairrio's throat.

He coughed and gagged, yelping in disgust. "Sorry," Lilith admitted, throwing the bottle away. "How do ya feel?" Then, Lilith and Nekomata leapt back as Cairrio's body began to glow. By now he was engulfed in golden light and the luminosity was growing bigger.

Just as Lilith began to wonder what she had done, the light dimmed and disappeared. Cairrio the small Digimon was no longer sitting on the couch; instead, what looked like a small boy was sitting, his head bowed down so only his head could be shown. He certainly wasn't black anymore like his small self. Instead, his hair was pure white and his skin a pale peach. When the boy lifted his head up, Lilith found herself gazing into giant pale blue eyes, shimmering beautifully.

The little clothing he was wearing was also white. A sleeveless shirt and pants with little boots. Cairrio blushed and shyly waved and squeaked a "Hi."

"Oh, Nekomata, he's gorgeous," Lilith breathed. Then she held her arms open and knelt. "Cairrio, come here."

Obeying, little Cairrio stood and staggered toward Lilith. When he reached her, he fell right into her arms. He was very small, only about up to Lilith's waist when she was standing. He had long pointed ears protruding from his thick hair, and a long fluffy tail, waving around slightly.

Then Nekomata jumped up. _I know what Digimon this is! _she cried proudly, _You're a Myomon!_

"Really?" Lilith looked at her new Digimon, who stared back up at her with a cute smile on his face. "Well, around here, you're still known as Cairrio." the boy nodded, giggling. "Anyway, it's amazing that you can talk now. I was afraid I'd have to teach you to talk."

"Well, champion levels should know how to talk, shouldn't they?" he asked, tilting his head.

Lilith's eyes widened and she backed away a bit to get a better look at Cairrio. "You're a champion level?" she questioned. How could something so small be a champion? It just didn't make sense.

_Don't be so surprised, Lilith, _scolded Nekomata. _Gatomon's a champion level too, and she's smaller than him._

"I guess I'm just shocked by all of this," Lilith admitted. "I mean, I meet a guy who's after my jewel, and then I meet you, Cairrio. _Then _I find out you're a Digimon and give you a potion that made you Digivolve. I mean, you could almost pass off as a human now!"

_Well, after all this, I've got questions for you now that you can talk, _said Nekomata to Cairrio. _Like, how did you get to this world, and why?_

"I can't really answer any of those," Cairrio admitted, sitting back on the couch cross-legged. "The thing is, I can't remember much. I remember first seeing a bunch of baskets, like cribs. Then, I was moving around, it's hard to remember because everything was so blurry to me. Then I saw bright light and then I was somewhere else; on a street (I think that's what you people call it).

"Wanting to get out of this scary place and bright light, I ran into the darkest place I could find; a cave."

"And that's where I met you," Lilith finished. She thought for a second, then snapped her fingers. "I've got it! The first thing you saw must have been Primary Village, also known as The Digimon Nursery. The bright light must have been a Digi-port! You ended up here in the real world; it all makes sense!"

Nekomata and Cairrio stared at Lilith with pride. Then Cairrio leapt up. "Ooh, Lilith, you're so smart!" he then wrapped his arms around her waist, rubbing his face against her with affection. "You must be the smartest Sorcerer in the Universe!"

"Well, I'm not a sorcerer...yet," Lilith explained, laughing. "You have to be in the top council of The Order in order to be a sorcerer."

"I'll bet you'll be the best order person there!" Cairrio continued, making Lilith laugh at the way he pronounced The Order.

Later that day, Lilith took Cairrio out into Tokyo, and the main part she visits; Odaiba. To make Cairrio look more human, Lilith tied his ears back to make it look like they were simply hidden by his hair. She also took a bit of string and tied his tail around his leg underneath his pants, much to his complaining. He whined and groaned a bit, his aggressive tail immobile.

While shopping around, staring through the glass of the many store they were passing, who should Lilith run into but Ken. He waved at her merrily, but stopped at the sight of Cairrio, who was about as tall as Cody, perhaps smaller. Lilith introduced Ken to Cairrio, who danced around Ken in an energetic greeting. Ken was confused until Lilith informed him that Cairrio was a Digimon, and practically a newborn at that.

"So, where's Ariyuki and Ariyami?" Lilith asked, noticing for the first time that they weren't with him.

"They're still at home; There's a Goddess Rampage marathon." Ken sighed and shrugged. He then knelt to Cairrio's height. "So, you're a Myomon, huh?"

"Yep!" Cairrio replied, still running around as if he had a never-ending battery. 

"Man, he's got as much energy as Ariyuki," Ken said, practically laughed. "I oughta introduce you two some time."

"Cool! A new friend!" Cairrio's sentences were often short and high-pitch, much like Ariyuki's.

So, Ken and Lilith spent much of the day with Cairrio, introducing him to places and things like restaurants, train stations, clothing stores, computer shops, arcades, and many other things besides. Cairrio was thrilled by all of it; what a truly amazing place. Ken and Lilith even decided to take him to the Digital World. They ended up in the icy and cold part of it. Even so, when it wasn't blizzarding out, the ice world was a wondrous place.

The caves they explored had icicles taller than Aruanna hanging from the ceiling. The cavern smelt of cold, which was quite a pleasant smell, but soon it was becoming too frigid for all of them, so they decided to leave. While they headed back to the real world to enjoy some more tours and food, someone else, not of the Digital World was working; working as hard as Sovereign or Myotismon would be.

"So, I have the whole lot of them to deal with," the dark man snarled, keying hard on a control panel, not different from Sovereign's or Kaiser's. "And four of them are mages! And I'm almost certain that Alanoko will come to their aid."

Then, a woman, or what looked like a woman entered through the dark doorway. She seemed to be fitted into all black. Her demon wings looked damaged and it looked like she had an extra head growing out of her shoulder. "Sir, the new Harpymon are ready. Shall I send them out scouting now?"

"No, Ladydevimon," he replied. "I know that the jewel is with one of the Digidestined, and they're all back in the Real World. No matter, though. They won't be protected there for much longer."

"And what of our dark spores, Sir?" Ladydevimon asked.

"I don't think I'll need them just yet," the man smirked. "I've compiled some data, and it seems that many children in Odaiba and Tamachi have them already. I've also learned that two of them are Digidestined."

"But, Sir, weren't they all declared dead?"

"One of them isn't. It's still alive and quite powerful, however, the youth who plays host to it isn't affected by it. That's a puzzle right there, but no worries," he grinned again, "As for the dead ones, I can bring them back to life. It only takes a little..._Dark _Magic." 

Ladydevimon bowed her way out, leaving her master to work, and knowing better than to ask any more questions. "Soon, Digi-brats," he muttered, "I'll have accomplished what Kaiser, Sovereign, and Myotismon could not. I'll be ruling _both _The Digital World, _and _The Real World! All it takes is one Blood Gemstone, and four children." the man laughed in triumph, for the unsuspecting Digidestined would soon have a whole new threat, completely different from anything else they've _ever _faced. 


	18. The Tale of The Rabid Fox

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Sovereign, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata, Cairrio, (more to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. Sorry this came _very _late. So late, it was rather ridiculous. My dad got a new computer (yay dad!), but took forever in plugging it in and everything. I couldn't even use the old computer. By the way, anyone who thinks I should start using the Digidestineds' Japanese names, tell me on the reviews, okay? Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter Eighteen:

The Tale of the Rabid Fox

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight,

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night

"It's still hard to understand, Ken. I mean, Kaiser, the guy who was always tryin' to kill us now wants to be our friend? Are you serious?"

"Quite serious." Ken and the other Digidestined, including Ariyuki, Ariyami, and Lilith were having a conversation at a Tamachi mall, about Ken's spirit, Kaiser, and Lilith's spirit, Sovereign.

"I just don't see us trusting them," stated Cody, his arms crossed.

"Cody, he and Sovereign saved our lives," Ken protested. "They deserve more of a chance than that."

Yolei sighed; unable to stand up anymore, she plopped herself down on a bench for a rest. "Come on, Yolei," complained Davis, now crossing his own arms. "The food court's just down there! Can't we stop and sit there, maybe order a few drinks?" he was now asking the entire group. "What do ya say?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea," announced Kari, her mind dancing with sodas.

"Hey, don't forget about us," snapped Gatomon somewhere around Kari's ankles. "We gotta eat too, ya know!"

_Don't worry about me, Lilith, _Nekomata said, staring up at her with her great blue eyes. _In my cat form, I can go quite a while without food._

"I want a hot fudge sundae!" came Patamon's muffled voice from Takeru's gym bag. 

"Gee, I'd like a salad!" announced Demiveemon from atop Davis' head.

"Hang on, guys," said Davis. "We only got enough for drinks, alright?" There were some moans of disappointment from the Digimon, but drinks were better than nothing.

"Ya know, Wormmon," whispered Ken to the Digimon in his arms, "if you wanted, I could buy you something to eat."

"No," admitted Wormmon. "It wouldn't be fair to the others."

"You have a point there, I guess," Ken told him, smiling at the wisdom of his Digimon. For some reason, thinking about his Digimon got him thinking about Kaiser. He frowned; the group didn't seem too happy to learn about him, especially the resentful Cody. 

At the food court Kari settled herself in a round chair while Davis and Takeru fought over who was going to sit next to her. Ariyuki instantly wanted to sit next to Ken while Lilith sat across from him. To Davis and Takeru's despair, it was Ariyami who claimed the seat next to Kari. As if things weren't childish enough, Yolei and Davis began arguing over who took the last red cushioned seat, since no one wanted to sit in the yellow one; Davis lost this battle too.

Takeru took everyone's orders and went up to one of the mini restaurants to buy the drinks, taking everyone's money in the process (he wasn't going to pay for it all with his own money). It was hard, but not impossible to hide their Digimon from other people while they drank their sodas. After all, what would everyone think if they saw stuffed dolls drinking orange soda or cola?

The rest of the day was spent arcade playing with the boys and shopping with the three girls, whether it be clothes, perfume, clothes, dolls, clothes, ice cream, looking at the pet shop, or clothes. Yolei absolutely fell in love with a nice red sweater for women that read, "Don't upset me; I'm running out of places to hide the bodies." It looked well on her and made Kari and Lilith nearly fall over laughing; they had to support each other to stand up.

"Imagine the look on the boys' faces when they get a load of that!" Lilith cried, her voice high-pitch from still cackling.

"I know," said Yolei, an evil grin on her face.

"What time is it? Anyone know?" Kari suddenly asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Lilith checked her watch. "Yeah, it's five twenty-three. Why?"

"I just have to be home by six," Kari replied.

"Then we'd better get the others and go," stated Yolei, purchasing her new sweater, making Lilith and Kari snigger.

The journey back home for the Ichijouji boys was much less fun than the arcade; the sun was almost gone, making the twilight sky appear. Ariyuki was frightened of it since he was very afraid of the dark; he squeezed Midori very tightly, making her cough. Ariyami, however, loved it. Nighttime was his favorite time. To make Ariyuki feel better, though, he volunteered to carry him home.

Ken yawned; he and his Digimon were exhausted. He couldn't wait to get home and eat dinner. While Ken was dreaming in his own little world, Ariyuki couldn't help but notice something in the shadows. It looked like someone was hiding within its shelter and was spying on them. Ariyuki tugged on Ariyami's sleeve to get his attention; he saw the figure too.

Without thinking Ariyami called out, "Who are you?" The shadow, knowing it had been discovered, disappeared. Totally spooked, Ariyuki let out a sharp gasp, and Ariyami ran to catch up with Ken, Ariyuki still in his arms.

"Did you see that?" Ariyami asked Ken. To his and Ariyuki's total surprise, Ken hadn't been listening to a thing that was going on. When Ken asked what was wrong, the two boys shook their heads and said "Never mind."

Once the boys entered the door to their residence, they found themselves being greeted by their parents. "Hi, dears," came Molly's sweet voice from the kitchen as she bustled toward them.

"Where have you been?" asked Cal, walking in from the living room. "You haven't been scanning the streets for some girls, have you?" he added, nudging Ken and Ariyami playfully in the ribs.

"Lost track of time," replied Ariyami, hugging his parents and soaring through the ceiling and disappearing.

"Well," said Molly, "I hope you're all hungry; I made quite a dinner tonight."

"What's the occasion?" Ken wanted to know.

"I dunno. Just felt like really cooking today," was her kind reply.

Molly sure wasn't joking. Placed on the table five minutes later had to have been an entire restaurant. Baked chicken, deep-fried vegetables, steamed rice, smoked fish, and much more that the boys couldn't count. Something was up.

"What's going on, Mom?" Ken demanded.

At that moment the doorbell rang. "Oh, they're here!" Molly cried happily. She swiftly opened the door to show four people standing in the doorway, all of whom Ken knew. His great redhead friend, Lilith, her older and much taller brother, Lyle, their bodyguard, William, and Lilith's new Digimon, Myomon, also known as Cairrio.

Ken was delighted to see them, but was confused as to why they were here. Then Lyle spoke up. "Cal! How's it goin'?"

"Not bad. You?"

Ken saw Lilith grin and wink at him. Then her eyes roved to Lyle and Cal. While the _adults _were talking, Ken, Lilith, Ariyuki, Cairrio, and Ariyami all went into his room to talk. "What's going on, Lilith?" Ken wanted to know. 

"Apparently, Lyle and Cal met each other three days ago at the detective agency. Lyle had come storming into the office, your dad's office, furious at his paycheck. He was denied about a thousand dollars more than he usually had," Lilith giggled. "Well, according to Lyle, Cal simply smiled and pointed to the office next to him. You can imagine how embarrassed Lyle was that he had come yelling at the wrong man.

"Anyway, after he had screamed his lungs out at the right man and got everything straightened out, Lyle felt so bad about yelling at Cal, and decided to make it up to him. What I was told is that they both went sight-seeing and stuff. You know, guy things."

"Why didn't you tell me about you coming here in the first place?" Ken pressed on.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. I hope you're not upset," Lilith now seemed concerned.

"Of course not," Ken told her, "This is just all kinda shocking."

"Yeah," said Ariyami. "Shocking that his one true love came waltzing right up to his door!" he practically cried out in a mockingly dramatic voice. Ken, infuriated and going red, released a leg that was curled in Indian style and kicked Ariyami hard in the ribs. The mage glared at him, rubbing his side. "And I thought you were all pure and good now," he muttered. 

"Even the purest guy can get angry," Ken growled, going back into regular sitting position. Lilith laughed at them both. Cairrio became deeply interested in Wormmon. He just couldn't figure out how those long ears or antennae could stay on like that; he soon began yanking hard on them, causing Wormmon to scream for help. 

After Ken and Lilith had separated the two, they both had to lecture Cairrio on keeping his hands to himself. Afterward, Ken's mother's voice rang, telling them dinner was complete. Like a pack of wild wolves, the four children and two Digimon came darting to the dining room. Since there were more people than there were chairs, Cal had to dig around in the storage closet for a few fold-up seats.

What a dinner Molly had cooked; with the way Ariyami and Cairrio were eating, though, Ken was nervous that there wouldn't be enough for everyone. Of all the things Lilith had taught Cairrio, table manners wasn't one of them. In no time conversation broke out. Lyle and Cal were discussing the case about Miriku Hitzubi, while Molly and William were talking about quilting and what they could make. 

Ken and Lilith conversed about Yolei's new sweater than she had bought. Ken thought it was hilarious while Ariyami thought it was very annoying. "She's doin' this to make me mad!" he swore to his friends. "I'll show her..."

"Don't do anything _too_ crazy," warned Ken.

"Like throwing her into any _lakes_." Molly added abruptly. Ariyami's face reddened.

After the dinner was gone (completely gone) and Ken said good-bye to Lilith, Lyle, Will, and Cairrio, all three Ichijouji boys went into their room to change. Ken slipped on a pair of plain blue pajamas while Ariyami wore a pair of dark red. Ariyuki wore green. At about ten o'clock, everyone went to bed. After Ariyami got himself settled on the couch, he almost fell asleep instantly.

Ken stayed up a little late to tell Ariyuki and Midori a bedtime story about the Digital World. After he finished the tale of how he and the others foiled Arukenimon's plans again, he climbed the ladder to the top bunk, pulled the light blue covers over his head, and fell into a heavy sleep. While Ken slept soundly, Ariyuki could barely get his eyes closed; his mind kept wandering to the dark figure in the streets. Was it bad? Was it out to get him?

Finally, Ariyuki got out of bed and walked to the sliding balcony door. That's when a sound alerted him. He spun around and saw Ariyami sitting up on the couch. "What's the matter, little buddy?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Can't sleep," he replied. "I'm just gonna get some fresh air. Maybe, if I go outside and see that nothing's out there, then I won't be scared anymore."

"Are you still bugged out about that shadow?" asked Ariyami, standing up and following Ariyuki out to the balcony.

"Yeah," the little boy admitted, looking down at the streets, only to find dim street lamps, guiding late cars to their homes.

"Well," said Ariyami, leaning on the balcony bars, "I don't see what you're afraid of. Even if there is something bad out there, there's always me and Ken to protect you, ya know?" he smiled cheerfully at Ariyuki, but stopped when he saw him staring. "What's up?"

"Shh!" Ariyuki snapped. "Look," he whispered, pointing down.

Confused, Ariyami obeyed. What he saw made his eyes widen. Something large, white, and on all fours was prowling the streets, hiding from the golden light cast by the lamps. It seemed as though its fur was glowing white. 

It was like a ghostly creature, a shadow beast of the night. Covering its pallid fur were black stripes, even to the end of its thin tail. It moved in a stalking, searching manner, as if looking for its prey. Then, it stopped moving and stared up at the two boys, its auburn eyes glinting threateningly. Ariyami leapt back and grabbed Ariyuki.

He ran back into the apartment and shut the door almost too loudly, locking it behind him and hastily bringing the curtains down. "What's wrong?" Ariyuki wanted to know.

"Couldn't you feel it?" he asked in a whisper, sitting back on the couch, his hands shaking. "That _thing _wasn't natural. It wasn't a Digimon or cat or tiger. I sensed something, though I don't know what. I never felt anything like it in my whole life."

Come dawn; Ken was awoken by the sound and smell of breakfast being cooked. He slowly sat up, some of his cramped bones crackling and feeling much better. He yawned, sighed, and gazed around at his quiet room. Then he woke up Wormmon and slowly climbed down the ladder. He looked at Ariyuki's bottom bunk to find an unpleasant surprise; Ariyuki wasn't there.

Slightly alarmed, he left the room in search of him. He found both boys asleep on the couch. What was Ariyuki doing there? Ken tilted his head in confusion. Then he heard his mother's voice from the kitchen, "Found them there this morning," she told him. 

Just then Ariyami woke with a start, staring around, his dark violet eyes wary. "What's up with you?" Ken asked as Ariyami pulled his sunglasses on.

"There was something down in the streets last night," was his reply as he stood up and stretched. "It looked like a giant tiger, but we don't know for sure."

"We?"

"Yeah. Ariyuki wanted some fresh air, so I joined him. That's when we saw that creepy thing down in the streets. Whatever it was, it didn't want to be discovered." Ariyami told him darkly.

Pondering Ariyami's explanation, Ken strolled toward the kitchen when something sitting on the table caught his eye. He picked it up and realized that it was Lilith's watch. She must have left it there on accident. Judging by the quality and the looks, it must have been very expensive. "Aw, man," Ken muttered.

"What is it, sweetie?" asked Molly, seeing her son's worried face.

"Lilith left her watch here," walking toward his room he added, "I think I'd best return it to her."

"I'll come with you!" announced Ariyami, leaping off the couch and following Ken. "I can tell you more about that _thing_ we saw last night."

When Ken and Ariyami emerged from the room, fully dressed, Ariyuki was awake and requesting to go with them. So, sighing, the two older boys waited a few extra minutes for the little one to get dressed. When he came out of the room, dressed and hair brushed like his brothers', all three boys slid on their shoes; Ariyuki's were black, like Ken's, while Ariyami's were white tennis shoes. After saying good-bye to their mother, they left.

Outside was beautiful; the sky was blue, the clouds were puffy and white, and a light breeze carried the scent of many baked goods. In a sense, it was a good thing Lilith left her watch behind. Ken greatly enjoyed the walk, and Ariyami needed exercise. All that flying around wouldn't get him any stronger.

After twenty minutes of strolling around and enjoying the day, the boys found themselves treading the gravel path out of town and toward Lilith's home. However, they soon discovered they wouldn't make it there. For at that moment a ball of fire came out of nowhere and nearly set Ariyami ablaze. The spell caster who did it then stepped out of the shadows. He had long, dark, slightly purple hair in a ponytail, and small round glasses.

He wore dark clothes and had a nasty grin on his face. "What do you want?!" Ariyami demanded, taking a step forward.

"Nothing from _you_ at the moment, boy. I am only here for something of importance to me, and you're in my way." was his harsh reply.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you're heading toward by best friend's house. If your intention's are to hurt her, you're going to have some problems!" Ken bellowed, blocking the path toward Lilith's house.

"Please, boy," sneered the man. "You barely have any control of your own powers. What makes you think you can even stand a chance against me? Young Lilith could barely hold her own against me. _You _won't be any form of challenge."

Ken showed his defiance by creating a very weak fire and sending it toward the man's feet singeing his boots, the very similar thing Lilith and her parents were famous for doing. "Why you..." the man snarled, but he over-looked it and laughed. "So, you have _some _combat magic. It seems Lilith's been spending more time with you than I thought. I'm afraid that won't help you, though. You're dealing with a man of unsurpassable strength!"

He flung out his arms and wind shot all around, blowing dust in the boys' faces, and nearly sending the lightweight Ariyuki in the air. Then it all stopped, but Ken and the other two felt strange, like something was now in the air. Just to make sure it wasn't spirit magic, Ken tried calling for Kaiser, but to no avail. A noise from the dark man caught Ken's attention; he was cringing and hunched; they were unable to see his face because his hair was in the way. The three boys watched as his hands clenched and unclenched, like claws.

Meanwhile, young Lilith was sitting at her computer desk, writing down notes from the internet. Little Cairrio was snoozing on the bed, one of his black tails slowly wafting. Just then, Lilith's arm jolted and she dropped her pencil. She stared in confusion, then bent down to pick up her fallen pencil.

Just before her hand wrapped around it, she went ridged and sat straight up. Cairrio opened one sleepy eye and whistled. "Lilith," he muttered, before making a soft trilling noise. Cairrio had learned to talk a bit in rookie form, but only the words Lilith, Lyle, and Will. He watched as Lilith approached her window, looking out as though searching; what was wrong?

Lyle was boiling noodles in a pot when he heard Cairrio's high-pitch wail. He dropped his spoon and ran to the stairway. There he saw Cairrio darting toward him, whistling frantically. "Lilith, Lilith!" he kept crying, before resuming his clicking and chirping.

"What about Lilith? What's wrong?!" Lyle demanded, trying not to shout at Cairrio. Then the little black Digimon dashed back upstairs to Lilith's room, Lyle in pursuit. When he stood in the doorway, he froze. Lilith was nowhere in sight, and her window was broken, a small torn piece of her clothing hanging on a shattered bit of glass.

Lyle gazed out the broken window, eyes searching frantically for Lilith. "Oh, no," he muttered before running to his room across the hall. He dug around until he found what he was looking for, then dashed down the stairs and outside.

However, Ken, Ariyami, and Ariyuki had troubles of their own. Their foe was now beginning to change. His hair grew white and sallow fur began to cover his body. This was looking very familiar to Ariyuki and Ariyami. Then he looked up, and the boys saw his face was more squashed in and covered in white fuzz.

His auburn eyes were changing in shape. The man then bent over as though he was going to be sick, then he fell to all fours. He hands grew bigger and more together, like transforming into paws. He let out a might roar before engulfed briefly in white light. The Ichijouji boys were blinded and flung up their eyes to shield them. 

When the light vanished, Ken found himself not glaring at a tall man, but rather gaping at a large, white tiger. It gazed at them, its eyes intense.

"Oh, my God!" shouted Ariyami. "He's that tiger we saw last night!"

For a second, it seemed as though the tiger had laughed, what looked like a grin spread on his face. "Guys," cautioned Ken, "no sudden movement, alright?"

"Ken, I'm scared," whispered Ariyuki, his big eyes unable to leave that of the man-beast's.

Then they heard him speak, his words double-voiced. --_I think I'll take the young one first, for he has the property to heal_--

Then Ariyuki began to cry with fright. Ken stood in front of him. "If you want my little brother, then you're gonna have to fight me for him!"

"Me too!" added Ariyami with fury. 

--_I see. I'll have three kills today--_ stated the beast. --_Oh, lucky me--_ He crouched down, his eyes fixed, timing himself on when to pounce his prey.

Ken readied himself; no force, man or beast, or both were going to get little Ariyuki. Then the beast sprung; all three boys leapt out of the way and scattered. Those claws were viciously sharp! However, the creature turned quickly and made a practiced dive for Ken, who dodged, but barely; his shirt sleeve was torn clean off; but it was either the shirt, or him.

Unfortunately, Ken found himself cornered by the beast, his back forced against a large tree. _Of all the places I had to roll, _thought Ken cynically to himself. _But complaining won't help now. _He clamped his eyes shut and waited. The tiger crouched, getting ready to pounce. Just then, however, Ariyami sent a large purple ball of energy toward the enemy.

To his horror, it made direct contact, but nothing happened. It was immune to magic! Then the beast pounced; Ken cringed and just as his claws grazed Ken's right cheek, it was thrown backward. Ken squinted his eyes open to see the hind quarters of something large and red, with about nine tails.

It made a high growling noise, whatever it was. The tiger stared in astonishment. He could see the front side of this creature. Its ears cocked forward, its eyes narrowed, and its fur a deep red; a large fox.

Ariyami gazed at it; it was beautiful, but frightening as well. Its eyes were cold and seemed mad. The white tiger and red fox stared each other down, waiting for the right time to strike. They made deep warning growls at each other as they encircled one another. Then without any warning, they both bounded.

At first it seemed like the giant mythical fox wouldn't stand a chance; the tiger sunk his teeth into the back of its neck and flung it right against a tree. Then he bit its ear viciously, making the animal yelp and snap back at the tiger's ears. This _monster's _brutal attack to the fox wasn't over yet, though. It seized its neck again and began throwing it around. After its head collided against a rock, it became motionless.

The man-beast stood over the animal. Then he raised his paw in a final assault. At that moment the fox leapt up and delivered a powerful and bloody scratch to the tiger's face. When the brutal white animal backed away a few feet, Ken, now standing back up, watched as each of the fox's nine tails stood straight on end. Then the fox howled like a wolf and a giant ball of fire concentrated above it.

Acting like a catapult, the fox used its tails to shoot the large ball of fire at the tiger, hitting it directly. When the smoke dispersed, the tiger was laying on the ground, panting heavily, but still alive. It even stood back up and glared at the fox. In no time another battering took place; their jaws locked at one another, while their claws were working fast to slit the other's throat.

Neither was successful. For the tactical fox drew its jaw away and delivered a powerful head-butt to the tiger, sending it crashing into a bush. Panting, the proud red animal gazed at the bush intently, waiting for its foe to make another appearance. He did, but not as a tiger; the first thing that emerged was dark violet hair and human skin. He was a man again. 

Judging by his bare shoulders, his clothes were gone. He was breathing heavily, scratch and bite marks covering him. Then he raised his hand. "I surrender, hunter!" he called to it, but the fox simply growled again and slowly walked towards him, eager drool slipping from its mouth and onto the ground.

"You'd better get outta here," Ken called to him. "I don't think that fox wants to be your friend."

The man grinned. "I strongly suggest that you run too," he murmured as the turned and fled.

Ken sank to his knees and sighed. Then he stared at the beautiful creature that had come to his and his brother's rescue. "Thanks," he told it. "You were wonderful."

"You're beautiful too," Ariyuki added, walking over to Ken.

The fox turned and stared at them. Then, to Ken, Ariyuki, and Ariyami's total surprise, it resumed battle formation, growling deeply. "Ken, what's goin' on?" Ariyami whispered cautiously.

Then Ken figured it out. "Its intentions were never to help us. It just wanted to get that man-beast out of its territory so all the prey would be its again."

"So, you're saying it just wanted to be alone while it eats us?" Ariyuki asked, now breathing heavily as the fox slowly approached them.

"The second it moves, run," Ken told his brothers. The snarling beast drew closer, eager to get to its hard earned meal. Ken realized with horror that its sights were drawn to Ariyuki, the smallest and weakest. 

Then, roaring like a wild cat, it pounced quickly. Ariyuki jumped out of the way, but the fox wasn't done yet. It circled 'round and came back for a second wave of assault. Of all the times to trip, this was by far the worst; Ken's foot snagged on a rock and he hit the ground hard. He turned to watch the fox advance.

_Great, _he thought bitterly, _The second time in one day. _However, the fox stopped moving as soon as it heard footsteps coming its way. Its eyes watched the rustling bush with apprehension, along with Ken. Lyle stepped out, looking determined.

"You will harm no one, rabid animal!" he cried. The fox, feeling challenged, attacked without thought. Lyle dodged quickly by doing a one-handed cartwheel; he was as nimble as his sister. The "rabid animal" came back again to sink its teeth in Lyle's neck, but Lyle withdrew a pendant of some sort. It shone brightly and the fox backed away, howling with fury.

"Boys, get behind me!" he ordered, keeping the fox distracted. Then he crossed his arms, his eyes not leaving that of the "rabid animal". "_By the name of The Order, I call all spirits of the wild, bind this creature with your will! Power of magic, come to me! Your master calls! So mote it be!_"

Defying all laws of _anything_, large cords shining a bright white shot out of the ground and constricted themselves around the giant red fox. It howled its anger and fury, demanding to be released. It fought hopelessly against the ever growing vines of light. "Please, stay out of my range," Lyle warned, putting an arm behind him to stop the boys coming any closer.

"What will happen next will astound you, and I'll explain it all later." Lyle raised his hands to the air. "Order, I need your help again. The rabid fox has escaped once more. Aid me." After Lyle finished his minor prayer, he put his hands together and bellowed loudly yet another chant. This time it seemed that more magic would build with each word he cried: "_By the name of The Order, Rabid Fox, I put you back in your place!_ _You will kill others for your merciless hunger no more! Back inside your vessel, I banish thee! Power of magic, come to me! Your master calls! So mote it be!_"

It happened in a display of brightness of many colors. It seemed a dazzling rainbow ball surrounded the fox while it continued to howl. Wind billowed everywhere, similar to when it did when that strange man became that tiger. Then the ball dispersed, but not before delivering a mighty gust of wind. Everything was now quiet, save for a few birds in the far distance.

When Ken thought it safe to open his eyes, he gazed around for the fox, but it was gone, replaced by something else lying in its place. Ken's attention then turned to Lyle, who slowly and carefully conjured up a large blue towel and ran toward whatever was left on the ground. Perplexed, Ken followed him. When he reached the object lying on the ground, be gasped, nearly screamed.

Lilith lay there, unconscious, her body unprotected. Lyle wrapped the towel around her, then picked her up. "Lilith," Ken muttered, grasping her frail white hand. "But-wha-what happened? Why did-"

"I'm not answering anything until we get home," Lyle told Ken sternly. 

Back at the Tsutomo household, Ken, Ariyuki, and Ariyami were seated on the couch in the living room while Lyle carried Lilith upstairs to her room. When he came back down, he gave a warning look to the boys, as if warning them not to bombard him with questions. Finally he sat down on the reclining chair and sighed. "Okay, ask me a question-but only one at a time."

Ken spoke first. "Alright, why did Lilith-"

"Ken, you _know _Lilith would _never _harm you or your brothers," Lyle interrupted, making Ken feel like he was reading his mind. "It wasn't Lilith who was doing that fighting; it was something else."

"What was it?" Ariyuki asked, breathless.

"It's the spirit of a creature that only exists in the mage realm. We call it the Rabid Fox. It's one of the most dangerous animals you can ever encounter in the mage realm. It can come in many elements but only one color," Lyle explained.

"Um, translation here," mocked Ariyami. "What d'you mean 'It can come in many elements but only one color'?"

"I mean that it can use any of the four major elements, Earth, Water, Wind, or Fire, but it will always be the color red. Satisfied?" asked Lyle, his arms folded.

Ariyami grumbled and faced away. Then Ken spoke up. "Lyle, how did Lilith get this ability, and why can't she control it?"

Lyle sighed again. "Lilith, like so other few mages, was born with it. It's her natural magic, like you and your ability to freeze time. Why can't she control it? Well, when a person has this ability, they have the spirit of the animal they can become; and, of course, they need to have Beast Magic in the air, kinda like when you and Lilith need Spirit Magic to communicate with your spirits. The Rabid Fox, Ken, is very wild; no man, mage or not, has ever been able to tame it, unlike that of the Rabid Wolf."

Ariyami stood up quickly, seemingly frustrated. "Rabid Fox, Rabid Wolf-make some _sense, _Lyle!"

"Calm down, Ariyami," said Lyle sternly. "I'll explain all that later."

"Anyway, when did you know about Lilith and her ability to do this?" Ariyuki wanted to know.

"I found out about it four years ago, when she was eight." Lyle now looked gloomy. "It was that night when Myotismon killed our parents. I remember hiding Lilith's eyes from the grizzly sight of Myotismon thrashing our father into pieces. But when she managed to lay eyes on dad, she screamed; screamed in fear and in total anger...

I watched as she stepped out from the hiding place. She stared at Myotismon, her red energy filling the atmosphere. She began to shake. In one flash, my little sister was no longer before me; instead, I saw a Rabid Fox. 

She battled Myotismon, showing no mercy. Of course, being in the form of the Rabid Fox, she couldn't control a thing she did. The only thing she knew was to kill. Finally, Myotismon was forced to flee before this vicious girl-beast killed him...

"Of course, it was her primitive power that came forth, so when it ran out, so did her energy; she became human again. A few months later, after the funeral for our parents, I had to talk to The Order about Lilith and her incredible power. After much debating, The Order's high council appointed me her guardian, to watch over her and to make sure nothing like this ever happened again. Of course, after that incident with Myotismon, most of the mages, including Lilith thought she had lost her mind, went insane; Lilith even tried to hide and forget her powers for about a year. I showed her not to be ashamed, though.

"After about two more years, a couple of mages, including myself tried to convince Lilith to let her rabid spirit come out. We wanted to help her tame and control it. She wouldn't agree; she was too afraid of it, so we finally gave up. That's the tale of the Rabid Fox."

"Wow," murmured Ken, "Imagine having something inside you that you can't control."

"Like a dark spore," added Ariyuki.

Ken shivered. "Never remind me of that, okay?"

Ariyuki nodded. "Kay."

"Anyway," said Ariyami, "What're these other rabid things? I heard you mention another creature called the Rabid Wolf."

"Oh, yeah," said Lyle suddenly. "Well, in the Realm of The Order, there are the three most deadly creatures ever. The Rabid Fox, The Rabid Wolf, and the ever powerful Rabid Tiger."

"What's the Rabid Tiger?" Ken asked. 

"It's fur is as white as snow and black stripes cover its entire body. The Rabid Tiger is a polar creature. It normally lives where there is snow where it can hunt prey. If you find a Rabid Tiger anywhere else, it has to be a human in tiger shape." Lyle explained.

"That's it!" cried Ariyami. "That man was a Rabid Tiger! But, Lyle, how could _he _control himself?"

"If you have enough power, you _can _control it. But it's especially hard when your a rabid creature. Lilith is only intermediate. She's not nearly powerful enough to make the fox obey," Lyle shook his head. "I don't know what to do now. I was sure that we would be able to lock the Rabid Fox away and forget about it forever, but now it's back. I'll have to consult wit The Order about this."

"Hang on," interrupted Ken. "What's this _Order _I keep hearing about?"

"It's a council of the most wise mages in the universe. They govern everything that goes on in every world and dimension. I'm willing to bet that a few might even know about the Digital World." Lyle laughed. "Though they'd probably think they'd gone insane!"

"And-and your parents, weren't they in The Order?" Ken pressed on.

"Yeah. Our parents were friends with everyone in The Order. They even drop by here sometime to talk. You should see them on the fourth of July."

"Yes, that _was _quite fun, wasn't it?" sounded a voice behind them all. Standing in the doorway of the living room was Fennel. His blonde hair was still long, and he still wore small square glasses.

"Fennel," said Lyle, standing up. "It's nice to see you again. What's up?"

"Lyle, I'd assume you'd be expecting us. Beast Magic was released here today," Fennel informed him.

"We?"

Then Bracken showed up behind Fennel, his violet eyes glinting. "Remember, Lyle? Me and Fennel-"

"Fennel and _I_." corrected Ken.

"Anyway, Fennel and _I _are always appointed missions whenever Beast Magic is about. Was Lilith affected again?"

Lyle hung his head. "Yeah. She's sleeping upstairs right now. From what I hear from Ken and the boys Lilith got into a fight with a Rabid Tiger."

"Seriously? A-a _real _Rabid Tiger? Did she win?" Bracken asked, sounding excited.

"Roseheart, this is no time for that!" snapped Fennel.

"Roseheart?" questioned Ken.

"My last name," Bracken informed him.

"Anyway, no, it wasn't a real Rabid Tiger. It was another person, a man." said Lyle, biting his thumbnail in stress.

"He could be one of our mages," suggested Fennel.

"No," Ken told him. "Lilith said that he told her he wasn't a mage, that his powers were an accident."

"Ah," said Fennel. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Then they all heard footsteps coming from upstairs and heading down. They watched the staircase with apprehension. Then they all saw a pair of pink pants. Lilith came walking into view, dressed in pink pajamas.

She blushed at them with guilt and seemed to be trying to hide herself. "It's alright, Lilith," Ken said to her. "Lyle told us everything. Come out from behind the wall." Ken watched as Lilith slowly walked toward them and sat on the couch next to him, Ariyuki, and Ariyami.

"How are ya feeling?" Lyle asked. 

"Tired," she admitted. Then she stared at Ken and his brothers. "I'm sorry if I did anything to hurt you."

"Nah, don't worry about it," said Ariyami truthfully. "You couldn't stand a chance against us anyway."

Lilith laughed at this, as did everyone else in the room. Ken was happy to see Lilith regain some of her lost cheer, but couldn't help but wonder about this Rabid Fox, and the man who could become the Rabid Tiger. For now, though, he masked his worry and doubt to try to make his friend feel better. He, Ariyuki, and Ariyami spent the rest of the day at Lilith's house, helping out with the cleaning and even aiding Lilith in teaching Cairrio some new words. 

By the end of the day, the rookie level Cairrio managed to speak the words Hello, Good-bye, and Whatever, taught by Ariyami. However, as the festivities continued in the Tsutomo household, the same dark man was busy at his own estate, having his arm bandaged by Ladydevimon. "Sir," she told him, "I've enhanced the Harpymon again. They're anxious for battle."

"Good. They'll soon get it," was the man's snarling reply. He stared in rage at his arm, blood seeping through the bandages. "I'll get that little monster," he muttered. "I never would have dreamed that she had beast magic. We'll see who's power is greater very soon. In the mean time, I want a report on those children with the dark spores; where are their residents?"

"I have the list here, sir." Ladydevimon handed him a long list of names. 

The man laughed in triumph as soon as his finger reached _Ichijouji_. "This household is my first target. I'll awaken their dark spores and take their energy when the time is right. This will be so much fun in the end." He cackled loudly at the very thought of it. "Soon, the age of light will be over, and a new age will take place, and no force will be able to stop me!" 


	19. Capture

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Alanoko, Merikah, Sovereign, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere (more to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. Okay, I'm going to say this again, because I really want to use the Digidestineds' Japanese names, but won't if people don't want me to. If you want me to, please say so in the review.

Chapter Nineteen:

Capture

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight,

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night

Nightfall; the entire household of the Ichijoujis was silent, save for the soft snoring of Ariyami. Ken and Wormmon were fast asleep, along with Midori and Ariyuki. However, while the others slept soundly, little Ariyuki was having a nightmare. Floating alone in darkness once more, Ariyuki cried desperately for his brothers and loving parents, but no one responded. All the while, Ariyuki felt as if he were being stalked.

Then, out of the blackness he spied a pair of brown eyes, glinting as though waiting. Then, he felt something grab the back of Ariyuki's neck and it began to burn. He screamed in agony, then sat up in bed, he eyes wild and scared, though adjusted to the dark. Midori awoke and yawned, unhappy to have her dream of fish and cream disturbed. "What's wrong, Ariyuki?" she asked, noticing the beads of sweat on the little one's face.

"I just…had a very bad dream," he told her, falling back down on his soft pillow and closing his alarmed eyes. "But, Midori, are dreams suppose to hurt?"

"I don't think so, Ariyuki. Dreams aren't real."

"Then why does my neck hurt so much? It feels like it's on fire or something." Ariyuki sat back up in worry.

Midori noticed the back of his neck and gasped. "Ariyuki, it's all red. It looks like it's irritated. Maybe we should put some cold cream on it, huh?"

"Maybe tomorrow," he replied, laying back down and pulling the covers over his head. "I'm too tired now."

The next morning, Ariyuki was awakened by his brother, Ken. "C'mon, lazy bum. We're going for a walk with Lilith."

Ariyuki frowned and pulled his blankets back over his head. "It's too early!" came his muffled moan.

"Ariyuki," muttered Ken, checking the clock on the wall, "It's one thirty in the afternoon! Now, come on!" he yanked the covers off and Ariyuki shivered and moaned. When he was finally dragged out of bed and dressed, he met Ariyami and his parents in the living room.

"There you are, dearie," said Molly cheerfully, opening her arms for a hug. Ariyuki smiled and ran to her, happy to be embraced.

Ariyami then came floating through the balcony's sliding window, a piece of toast in his mouth and a letter in his left hand. "Where'd you get that?" Cal wanted to know.

"I just stopped by Kari's place and she offered me some breakfast," was his reply, sitting on the sofa next to Molly.

"_Ooh!_" said Cal. "Ariyami, I never knew you had a girlfriend."

Ariyami went totally red. "She's _not _my girlfriend!" he bellowed.

"I dunno, Ariyami," Ken said to him. "I mean, I see you two together all the time. I knew you were more than friends when she stole your sunglasses and you didn't try tearing her apart."

"What are you? A spy?!" Ariyami cried in exasperation, flinging his arms into the air along with his piece of toast.

Ariyuki laughed at everyone in the room. Just as Ariyami was administering a noogie to Ken, the phone rang. Ariyuki ran to pick it up. "Hello?"

"_Hello, Ariyuki. I was hoping you'd be the one to pick up._"

"Oh, hi, Miss Aruanna. How are you?" Ariyuki said, smiling.

"_I'm fine. Say, would you like to meet me and Muruha at the music building near the school? We were going to practice when you ran across my mind._" Aruanna told him.

__

"Yeah! Of course! I'll be there soon, bye!" Ariyuki put the receiver down and began dancing around in circles with excitement.

__

"My, that must have been a good call," Molly noted, watching her son spin about while laughing.

"Yeah, Miss Aruanna just called and wanted me to meet her and Mister Muruha at the music building. Can I go, please?" Ariyuki asked, his hands clasped together and his eyes large.

"Well, I don't see why not," was Molly's answer. "Maybe Ken and Ariyami would like to go with you."

"Sure!" said Ken, excited. He'd always wanted to go inside that music building.

"Why not?" added Ariyami, shrugging with his hands in his pockets.

Within five minutes the Ichijouji boys were dressed and out the door. The sky outside was gray and slightly drizzly, so they had to wear sweaters and bring an umbrella. Ariyuki enjoyed the cool air and overcast skies; it made him feel warm and happy to be around his brothers. Stopping at the crosswalk, waiting for the walking light to turn green, Ken yawned and stretched his limbs, cracking a few.

The sound of a familiar voice calling brought Ken back to reality. Lilith was running across the street toward them, the champion level Cairrio holding her hand and skipping puddles along with her. Cairrio was in a different color apart from white this time, which was quite a pleasant change. He wore a red and purple hand-knitted sweater and a thin purple scarf.

His ears were tied back and his tail was tied down, and he also wore sand colored khakis. "Hey, Cairrio!" Called Ariyuki happily, waving at him.

Cairrio released Lilith's hand and darted for Ariyuki, laughing with excitement, his fair mane brushing about. Lilith and Ken laughed as Ariyuki and Cairrio jumped around each other, giggling. "So, where are we heading?" Lilith wanted to know, following Ken and the others as soon as they were permitted to walk.

"To the music building," Ken replied excitedly.

"Oh, yeah!" noted Lilith. "I love to go to that place."

Ken stuck his chin out in a pout. It seemed everyone had been to the music building _but _him. It wasn't hard to identify the music building; it had a gigantic music note on the front. Ariyuki now ran toward the building, unable to wait until he saw Aruanna again.

Ken, Lilith, Ariyami, and Cairrio brought up the rear as they chased Ariyuki up the wet grassy hill toward the music building. Ken slipped and fell near the top and Ariyami tripped over him, while Lilith stumbled over him, and Cairrio tripped up over her. Ariyuki looked back to see a pile of people moaning in pain and trying to get up. He simply shrugged and opened the large music doors.

It was so quite in the music room it became frightening. Silence seemed to have taken over. The quick sound of a violin sent Ariyuki leaping into the air. He whipped around and saw Muruha walking toward him, a wide grin on his face and a fiddle in his hands.

Ariyuki whined and told Muruha how "Not funny" that was. Ken and the other three then appeared around the door. "What'd we miss?" Ariyami wanted to know.

"Just my heart shooting out of my throat." Ariyuki murmured. "Where's Miss Aruanna?"

"She's around here somewhere," Muruha told him. "I've been on a one-man hunting party myself."

"Goodie! Let's go find her!" exclaimed Ariyuki, dashing down the narrow hall.

"Ariyuki!" cried Ken in exhaustion, running after the little one. Ariyuki paid no attention to Ken's protests; he simply continued to run, calling Aruanna's name.

"Miss Aruanna!" he would call. "Where are you?" Then he heard the faint sound of a flute. The melody was slightly melancholic in nature, and seemed to be the perfect lullaby to sleep to. Ariyuki peered into a large carpeted room; in the center was Aruanna, her eyes closed, playing the silver flute that glinted in the light from the room.

She stopped her wonderful lullaby as soon as she noticed Ariyuki. "Oh, hello," she said, cleaning the mouthpiece of the flute with her orange button-up shirt. "I expected you a little later. Oh, well; come and go as you please. How are you?"

"I'm okay," was his reply, eying the flute with wonder.

"Would you like to try?" offered Aruanna.

"Yeah!" Ariyuki ran to her and took the flute carefully from her.

"Now," she instructed, "you put your mouth over this hole-not on it! There you go; just over it. Then you blow into it at an angle. Just like that. Now you have it! Now, put your fingers over these holes to create various pitches. Very good!"

Ariyuki's playing was very unprofessional. It sounded too off, but at least it wasn't screeching like he was doing earlier. After he exhausted himself, Aruanna took the flute back to play while Ariyuki sat on the floor to listen to her. Ken and the others came in soon after, enjoying the soft sound of the silver flute.

"You're gettin better, Aruanna." stated Muruha.

"Thank you," was her reply. "I try to get better."

"So, Muruha," said Ariyami, "you play the violin?"

"Yep." he said. "It's quite a bit easier than the flute in my opinion. All ya do is drag a bow across the strings." 

"Wanna try the duet?" Aruanna wanted to know.

"Sure!" Muruha dashed out of the room for the moment to retrieve his instrument.

"This sounds like so much fun!" stated Ariyuki. "I can't wait!"

Muruha returned five minutes later with his violin, eager to start the song that he and Aruanna would play. He got the music pieces out while Aruanna retrieved two music stands. Everyone now sat on the floor, watching Aruanna and Muruha. After tuning and getting the beat straight, they played.

The tune was upbeat and jovial this time; Ken's body began to move to the beat, as did everyone else's. When the perfectly done melody was finished, Ariyuki, Ariyami, and Cairrio leapt up, clapping and cheering. Ken and Lilith, however, simply stood up and clapped.

Muruha took in the praise and bowed, saying "Thank you! Thank you!", while Aruanna simply blushed. 

"You were great, Miss Aruanna!" Ariyuki told her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a lovable hug. 

Aruanna's blush deepened and she patted Ariyuki's head awkwardly. "Thank you, Ariyuki." He laughed and ran to Muruha to show him the same affection. Aruanna smiled at the little one almost longingly. Then she had to pinch herself painfully in the arm behind her back. 

What was she thinking? Ariyuki's spellbinding warmth and childlike love had almost distracted her. _Well, you've always wanted a child, _said a reasonable voice inside her head. _Ariyuki loves you like a mother. Why not return the affection?_

_Why? _she repeated, _Because I didn't come here to love! I came here on a mission, and if I let a small child distract me or turn me _soft, _then how can I fight my enemies?!_

"Miss Aruanna? Aren't you coming?" Ariyuki's voice rang in, bringing Aruanna back out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"We're going to get some ice cream. Come with us." he begged her, his eyes bright.

"Oh, yes. I'm coming," dazedly, Aruanna grabbed her purse and caught up with the others out the music building door. Aruanna felt even more guilty and uncomfortable when Ariyuki took her hand as they walked down the sidewalk. He smiled up at her and giggled. Aruanna had to bite back tears; how she longed to hold Ariyuki or treat him like a son, but she knew that if she did, she'd become too soft and useless when the time came.

"Are you okay, Miss Aruanna?" Ariyuki suddenly asked, noticing her shining eyes.

"Mmm, hmm," was her reply. She stared desperately at Muruha, begging him with her eyes to take Ariyuki away from her.

Muruha got the message. "Why don't ya come up here, little guy?" he picked Ariyuki up and placed him on his shoulders, laughing.

Ken, Ariyami, and Lilith were up front, discussing the mysterious man who seemed to be trying to take over the Digital World. "I had the strangest dream last night." Ken told them both. "I was floating, and I felt like something grabbed the back of my neck. I woke up and my neck began to hurt. Isn't that strange?"

"Very," pondered Ariyami. "Ya think _he _has anything to do with it?"

"Most likely," was Ken's reply.

Ariyuki overheard and frowned. He remembered that he had the same dream. The same things happened. What was going on? At Keichoe's Ice Cream Parlor, Ariyuki could barely enjoy his marshmallow and chocolate milkshake; his thoughts kept wandering to Aruanna and his dream. 

Thinking of Aruanna, he turned to see her. She was conversing with Muruha about something at school; probably from a teacher conference. Just then he spotted something white slinking around in the corner of his eye. Alarmed, he whipped around in his seat but found nothing.

"Are you alright?" Aruanna asked.

Ariyuki didn't want Aruanna to worry, so he nodded and smiled. "Just hyper." Cairrio then crept from Lilith over to Ariyuki. Then they both began playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. 

Sunset; the sky was painted orange tinged with gray clouds and everyone was saying their good-byes for the day. Aruanna and Muruha went one way while Lilith and Cairrio went across the crosswalk toward home. Ken, Ariyuki, and Ariyami took the other way. It was now sundown and the atmosphere was now black. There was no moon and hardly any stars because of the clouds.

Ariyuki whimpered with fright. Ariyami picked him up while laughing at his phobia of the dark. Ken giggled too, until he heard the sound of what must have been wheels. They were coming up from behind.

Ken glanced behind him as did Ariyami and Ariyuki. A semi truck was coming their way, headlights blazing. Ken continued walking, thinking the truck would pass them. Instead, the truck seemed to slow down and follow them. Ken was becoming nervous; what did this guy want? He picked up the pace and ordered Ariyami to do the same.

"What's goin' on?" Ariyami whispered, Ariyuki still in his arms. "What's this guy following us for?"

"I have no idea." was Ken's reply. For some reason that truck seemed awfully familiar; it was stuck in the back of his memory, though, and he had trouble remembering.

Ariyami was equally nervous. If this guy was wanting to hurt him or his brothers, though, he'd be in for a world of pain. Just then a sound caught his ears and he leapt into the air, taking Ken and Ariyuki with him. The sound was that of a whip!

He landed back on his feet and released the other two boys. He then turned around to face the person who cracked the weapon. Ariyami noticed that the truck had come to a stop and that there was a man standing in front of it. It was that same man that they had met before! The one who could become a Rabid Tiger!

"What do you want!?" Ariyuki demanded, his fist shaking in front of him.

"Something that belongs to me and you have it. I demand that you come with me," he muttered darkly.

"Oh, sure. Yeah right!" Ken spat. "The chances of us cooperating with you are one in a million!"

"Then, here is my one." the man snapped his fingers and the truck pulled forward until the back of the semi could be seen. "I think what you'll find will convince you to cooperate with me." He opened both doors and the boys peered inside. 

Ken gasped as his eyes traveled over children, about fifteen of them. They were all huddled in a corner and whimpering with fright. When they saw Ken they all burst out in babble with words like "Run, Ken!" and "Save yourself!" and "You can't let this man get what he wants!"

"What have you done with these children!?" Ken demanded, his fists clenched in anger.

"Nothing for the moment. Now, Ichijouji boys, I want you two"-he pointed at Ken and Ariyuki-"to hop right into the truck." the man indicated the doors.

"No way!" Ariyami bellowed, stepping in front of Ken and Ariyuki. "You can't have them!" then he summoned his red beam sword. "I'll run you through first!"

"No, Ariyami!" Ken warned. "Don't do anything reckless. He might do something to the other children."

"You can bet I will," the man said. "Come with me, though, and I will guarantee their safety."

"No, Ken!" cried one of the kids, standing up. "Just get outta here and run away!"

Ken stared at the children. He _wanted _to run away; he was scared. However, if he did, he felt as if this man _would _do something to them. He approached the doors and climbed in. 

"No!" screamed another one of the kids. "Just run away! Just run away!" 

"Alright," he said slowly and bitterly. "I'm in. Just let Ariyuki go. He has nothing you want that you can't get from me." Ken added in a pleading manner. 

"Let him go? Oh, but Ken, I'm afraid I can't do that." drawled the man, grinning. He then reached over and grabbed Ariyuki by his long hair, pulling the struggling youngling toward the doors. 

"What're you doing!?" Ken cried. "Leave him alone!"

"Be still!" the man demanded. "I need you both for this and I intend to have you both." he threw the struggling Ariyuki into the semi truck. Ken helped Ariyuki into a sitting position, glaring at the tall, dark man.

"Where do you think you're going!?" shouted Ariyami, getting ready to charge. At that moment, though, red vines shot out of the ground and restricted themselves around Ariyami's wrists and ankles, forcing him down.

"I've enjoyed the chat, but I must be off. Ta-ta." and with that, he slammed and locked the semi doors. "Let's be off!" he ordered Ladydevimon, who was the driver.

"Yes sir!"

"To a hidden location where I can perform this in peace." he added, grinning at the children.

Ariyami watched, horrified and enraged as the semi truck drove off swiftly. "No," he muttered, lowering his head. How could this be? Had he just failed his brothers and the children?

Meanwhile, inside the back of the dark semi, Ken wriggled violently against his restraints while trying to calm the crying Ariyuki who also had his arms tied behind his back. "What's going on?" Ken asked the other kids, each of whom looked familiar.

"We don't know," admitted a scratchy-voiced kid with shaggy brown hair. "We were all taken while we were outside, some of us in broad daylight."

"Wait, did any of you have a dream about something hurting your neck?" Ken suddenly asked. When every child nodded, Ken gasped. This had to have something to do with the dark spores!

Then the dark man stepped in. He had come from the front of the truck. "Enough chattering," he said. "I have a little something that has to be done. Remember this, Ichijouji?" he held a strange device in his hand, like that of a scanner.

Ken gasped in horror. He remembered that alright. It was the same thing Yukio Oikawa had used on him to take his dark spore's energy out; it was one of the most painful things Ken had ever felt. However…

"What d'you intend to use that for?" Ken asked suddenly. "My dark spore's energy is now dead. It's been dead ever since Oikawa used it!" Ken couldn't help but smirk.

"Oh, Ichijouji," sighed the man with all too much patience. "Don't you remember the dream you and every other child here had? The reason your neck hurt so much was because I woke the spores up. I am now ready to take each and every one of your dark spore's energy to add to my power."

"What are you trying to accomplish?" Ken demanded, now panic-stricken again.

"I want to rule both worlds, Ichijouji. Take everything and make it mine!" the man in the shadows laughed with triumph. Then he pushed a button on the dark spore retriever and watched as the tip began to glow a demonic red.

"Ken, I'm scared," whispered Ariyuki, his blue eyes bigger than usual with fright. "I wanna go home."

"I know," Ken replied. "I promise you, we'll get outta here."

"Now, Ken, I think you'll be the one to go first," the man told him. "Your dark spore should have more power than the others." he slowly approached the struggling Ken, a look on his face as though he was going to enjoy this.

Ariyuki though fast. He wasn't about to let his big brother get hurt. He quickly stuck out his slender leg and tripped the dark man. He tried to regain his balance, but Ariyuki had thrown him off too far; he fell to the floor and crushed the dark spore retriever underneath him.

When he stood up his eyes seemed almost red with fury. He glared at Ariyuki with distinctive hatred. "You…" was all he muttered before going back to the front of the semi where the driver was. "I need the second one," he told Ladydevimon.

"Here, sir," Ken and Ariyuki heard her say.

"Nice work, Ariyuki," Ken complimented in a whisper.

"Thanks."

The man came back in and stared at both Ken and Ariyuki. He then snapped his fingers. Ken swore he saw something moving in the shadows behind the other children. Sure enough, a large black creature leapt out and picked up Ariyuki. "What _is _that thing?!" Ken asked in alarm and anger.

"Nice, isn't it?" said the man, smiling. "This is a creation of mine. Recognize the wings and orange eyes? I call him Shadowstingmon. He is a shadowed creation of Stingmon."

"What're you doing to Ariyuki?" Ken inquired, staring at the shadow version of Stingmon holding little Ariyuki.

"Why, nothing, Ichijouji. I just wanted him out of the way so I can perform this right. Now," he knelt down to Ken. "I won't lie that this _will _hurt." He held Ken's shoulder to hold him still, though he didn't stop struggling. Then Ken closed his eyes as he felt the cold metal on the back of his neck.

Then, what Ken thought was a great explosion took place and the dark man was sent reeling backwards. He heard him curse as he held his forehead; he had a deep cut in it. "What the hell was that!?" the man bellowed, making many children gasp and a few cry. He could barely see a black outline of something- or someone hovering near Ken.

Black frizzy hair and dark outfit. He saw a glint of glasses as well. He had his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. "Who are you?!" he cried.

"Kaiser?" Ken wondered. Then he felt himself leaving his physical body as he fell deep in his mind. _Kaiser? What're you doing here? I thought-_

_You thought we could only communicate through spirit magic, I know, but ever since your dark spore was awakened, I found myself more conscious of you. Now I can sense you fully as if we were around spirit magic. _Kaiser explained, pushing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose with his index finger.

__

What happened just now? Ken wanted to know.

__

When I realized what he was about to do, I couldn't just let him hurt you and take the dark spore's power. I had to do something, so I took a large amount of my energy and forced myself and my magic out. Now that Ken came to think about it, Kaiser _did _look rather tired than usual. _Look, Ken, he's gonna try taking your spore's power again, and I won't be able to stop him without nearly killing myself._

That's alright, said Ken. _I'll try to take it from here._ And with that, Ken returned to his regular state, glaring at the man in the shadows. 

__

"I see you're being protected by your dark spore. I won't waste my time in asking how, but I _am _going to finish what I started." he once again held Ken down as he prepared the dark spore retriever again.

__

Then everyone heard Ladydevimon scream "What on Earth?!", and the truck spun out. Ken and Ariyuki hit the back of the truck while the man gripped on to a bar on the side wall of the semi. 

__

"What's going on?!" cried the dark man.

__

When the truck came to a stop, Ladydevimon explained. "There was a child standing in the middle of the street. She's still standing there, sir."

__

"I'll handle this," he snarled, opening the doors and leaping out of the back of the truck.

__

While Ken and Ariyuki wondered what was going on, the man walked to the front of the truck. Sure enough, a young girl was standing in the middle of the street. She had ginger brown eyes and deep amethyst hair braided in pig tails and down to her waist. "And who might you be, child? It must be nine o'clock. Why are you out so late?" the man asked nicely.

"I've come to free the children you have kidnapped in that truck," she snapped. "I demand you let them go!" her voice was high-pitch and not too threatening to the tall man in front of her. However, how did she know he had the children in the truck?

Meanwhile, Lilith and Cairrio were making their way out of town when they went past an alley. A pair of hands grabbed Lilith and held her mouth shut while she was dragged into the dark alley. When she freed her mouth, she looked up and found herself staring deep into the caramel eyes of Muruha. "What're you doing?" she demanded while Cairrio hissed a warning.

"There's no time to explain," whispered Muruha. "Ken and Ariyuki are in trouble. We have to go!" paying heed to Muruha, Lilith darted after him down the alley, Cairrio just a foot behind her.

"What's wrong, Lilith?" Cairrio asked.

"I don't know," was her reply. She even repeated the question to Muruha.

"Ariyami tipped us off about the other two being kidnapped by a dark man. No doubt this has something to do with the dark spores. Damn it."

"How do you know about the dark spores?" Lilith asked.

"I don't have time to explain it! We have to run faster!" Muruha dashed forward, almost being too fast for Lilith to catch up. When they made it to the other side, Muruha, Lilith, and Cairrio were forced to catch their breath. They also met Ariyami and Aruanna.

"So…what's going…on?" Lilith panted.

"Some freak took Ken and Ariyuki!" cried Ariyami. "He also has an entire truck full of kids!"

"Is he far?" Lilith inquired. 

"We tracked him down around here somewhere. C'mon, let's go!" ordered Aruanna, determined to save Ariyuki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Child, I don't know how you know about my plans, but you're standing in my way. I think it wise that you leave before you get yourself hurt." the man sneered.

"I don't think so," the girl replied smugly. "If you don't do what I say, you'll find yourself out manned with hardly anywhere to run."

"Oh, I'm so frightened," mocked the man, laughing to himself. "However, if you insist on getting yourself killed, be my guest. One life or a hundred lives doesn't matter to me, just as long as I get what I want!" He formed a red ball of energy and aimed it at the young girl. When he realized she wasn't moving, he grinned and fired.

He knew it made direct contact with the girl, but was completely stunned when he found it had absolutely no effect. She had conjured a purple shield. "No, you can't be a mage!" he cried, taking a step back.

"I'm not a mage. No one but my father knows how I got my powers." she snapped back.

"Your father? Then-then you must be the child of-"

"Stop right there!" he heard someone shout. He turned around quickly and saw five people standing in front of him. Two he instantly recognized as the mage girl and Ariyami, but he had no idea who the other three were.

"What do you want?" he snarled at them. 

"We're going to free the kids you have I that truck!" cried Muruha.

"Does _everyone _know of my plans?!" cried the man, flinging his arms into the air in exasperation.

Lilith paid no attention to him. "Cairrio, go untie Ken and Ariyuki and set the other children free."

"Got it!" Cairrio dashed toward the back of the truck and gazed inside. He waved at Ken and Ariyuki and leapt into the semi and untied them.

"Thanks, Cairrio," Ken said, rubbing his wrists and patting the young Digimon on the head.

"Let's go. Lilith's facing the bad man," Cairrio told him, leaping back out of the truck.

"Kids, get out of here and make a run for it." Ken ordered the children. They did as they were told and each ran home.

"Honestly, the nerve of you trespassers." muttered the dark man. "I'm trying to do something of great importance and I now have all of _you _raining of my parade."

"We'll do a lot more than that if you don't surrender and get outta here!" shouted the girl with plum hair.

"Really? I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm more terrified of a Pabumon than you children." he sneered. "And now I'll show you all why." he shook his head to Ladydevimon, who was about to get out of the truck, and put his hands together. As he slowly pulled them apart a black ball formed and grew. "_Prepare to die, foes of mine!_"

__

Ken grabbed Ariyuki and held him tightly, bracing himself for the blast. Ariyami put his body in front of Aruanna and Muruha, ready to die to protect them. Lilith held Cairrio, fear in her eyes; she had no idea how to create a shield big enough to protect everyone. Then everybody held their breath as the dark ball of light shot toward them. Then…

__

"_Shield of Pyro!_" came two voices. A wall of fire quickly conjured, destroying the ball of dark light and saving the seven people who were about to be incinerated. Everyone stared in confusion; what had happened? Then they saw before them and behind the dark man two figures. They couldn't make them out, however, because their bodies were mostly hidden within the shelter of the shadows.

"Who are you?" demanded the dark man.

Then he and the people behind him all heard the young girl shout "Daddy!". She ran toward the man on the left.

"No," muttered the man. "You-you can't both be…_You're _suppose to be dead!" he pointed to the man on the right.

"I may have been," came a burly-voiced reply.

"This can't be. This just can't be!" the man snarled and cried out with anger, then ran to the passenger side of the truck and ordered Ladydevimon to drive away. "I'll come back for you!" he bellowed as he disappeared into the dark streets.

Ken let out a sigh of relief. Whoever these men were, they saved their lives. "Thank you," he said as he approached them. The man on the right then took a step back even deeper into the shadows. 

"Don't be afraid to see him now," said the man on the left, holding the girl who is his daughter. "Talk to him."

"Hey," murmured Ariyami suddenly. "I know that voice. Alanoko! What're you doing here?!" he laughed as he dashed toward the man on the left. 

"Ari, it's nice to see you again. It's been a while, my friend." replied Alanoko, stepping out of the shadows and revealing himself. His deep red hair was longer than before, shoulder length. Like his daughter, he had ginger brown eyes that glinted with mischief.

Ken was dumbstruck, along with everyone else. Alanoko, a little girl, a guy after dark spores-what was going on?! "Ariyami, who is this guy?" Ken wanted to know.

"This is my best friend, Alanoko, also know as Alan. Alan, these are my friends."

"Your list of friends has greatly grown, Ari," said Alanoko, grinning. He then turned around to the man in the shadows. "Come on, brother. Don't be afraid to talk to him. All is forgotten."

"I-I can't. I just can't, and I won't, either." he snapped stubbornly.

"Don't make me drag you out." warned Alan. He smiled at everyone else as he grabbed the man in the shadows. "Allow me to introduce my brother, young Ken Ichijouji." he pulled the man out of the darkness and Ken gasped in total surprise. "Everyone, this is Yukio Oikawa." 


	20. True Identities

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Sovereign, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, Nekomata, Kohito (more to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. 

Chapter Twenty:

True Identities

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night

"Yukio?" Ken couldn't believe his eyes. Yukio Oikawa, the man who was taken over by Myotismon and eventually became a guardian (and died), was standing before him. He didn't look like a zombie, though. His skin had more color and now Ken could actually tell what color his eyes were: big and brown, like his brother's and his niece's. Ken opened his mouth and closed it several times; Yukio couldn't be standing here; he was dead. 

Then Ariyami said something that made Ken's eyes widen even more. "Hey, Yukio. What's up?"

"A-A-Ariyami? You-you know him?" Ken stuttered.

"Oh, yeah. When I first woke up into the world and was falling from the sky last winter or whatever, I met these two. When I landed, they came right up to me. They were the ones who taught me how to control myself." Ariyami told Ken, smiling.

"Control yourself?"

"Yes," said Alanoko. "When Yukio and I first found him, he was…wild. He couldn't control his emotions. We worked long and hard to gain his trust, then once we did, we brought him to our home to stay. We took care of him and taught him how to control his emotions properly; when we were finished with him, he became a full-fledged human being…with powers, mind you."

"Enough about _that_." interrupted Ken, alarm and much confusion coursing through him. "Yukio, I thought you were…well…"

"Dead?" he asked. "I was. Well, sort of. I was a guardian of the Digital World on a spiritual level. I was brought back by my brother, Alanoko. He said that dangers extremely powerful were rising and that I was needed. Right, brother?"

"How did you bring him back?" Lilith asked Alanoko. "It must have taken years of study to be able to learn how to bring the dead back to life."

"You must be Lilith," noted Alanoko. "I'm not sure Ari's told you, but I'm not a mage. Neither is Yukio, my daughter, Merikah, or my other brother, Kohito."

"Kohito?" Ariyuki repeated. "Who's he?"

"He's the man who nearly took your dark spore," Alanoko explained regretfully.

"HE'S YOUR BROTHER?!" everyone practically exploded.

"Yes indeed. I guess this story starts with him, me, and Yukio…"

You see, even as small children, my brothers and I had powers; each were different. Kohito could burn or freeze things, Yukio could move things with his mind, and I was able to heal. Each of our magic was only slight and small. Yukio and I feared our magic and was terrified that one day we would hurt somebody, so we tried to hide our gifts of magic.

Kohito, on the other hand, loved his magic gift. He wanted to learn more and to do more. As we grew up, Yukio learned about a place called the Digital World. I would watch him draw these pictures, and one day he brought a friend home, Hiroki Hida. Those two became inseparable, right, Yukio?

Well, while Yukio had his new friend and completely forgot about his powers, Kohito began burying himself in books about sorcery and magic, while I concentrated on my schooling. I was told Kohito had even entered the mage realm once. Later in life, while Yukio would hang out with Hiroki and I was busied with my wife and daughter, Kohito simply disappeared. Yukio and I knew, of course, that he went off to become more powerful.

We also knew that one day he would return corrupt and we would have to fight him…

"He's always been the corrupt one," added Yukio bitterly. "He'd toy with the feelings of people at school as a child and now he's back to toy with the lives of countless innocent humans and Digimon."

"So, how did-how did you bring Yukio back to life?" Lilith asked, her hands close to her mouth.

"It wasn't easy," Alanoko said to her. "It took so much of my energy up that I thought I was going to die. I learned a spell from a friend of mine who was a mage. He told me it could bring someone dead back to life, though it was dangerous. It could cost the spell caster his life."

"That's terrible," whispered Aruanna.

"What do you think Kohito's next move is?" Ken asked, his arms still around Ariyuki.

"I'd imagine that he'll be waiting for us in the Digital World soon." replied Yukio. A sudden yawning from Ariyuki caught his attention. "Maybe we should continue to discuss this in the morning. This young boy is exhausted and I'm feeling tired as well."

"Yeah, I guess," admitted Ken, feeling his bones ache with weariness. Then something hit him that made his insides turn over. "Oh, no!" he practically cried. "Mom and Dad are gonna have a fit when we get home!"

"Gee, I completely forgot about that," muttered Ariyami, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Is Mommy gonna be mad?" Ariyuki asked as tears of fear welled in his eyes.

"We'll talk to them, okay, Ariyuki? Everything's gonna be okay." Ken enlightened soothingly. "Should we meet you guys anywhere tomorrow?" he added to Alanoko and Yukio.

"How about the Digital World?" suggested Merikah.

"_You _aren't coming," Alanoko told her sternly. "We've discussed this already, Merikah. You're to stay home from now on. Ever since you made those Flymon attack us, you know you've been grounded for at least another two months."

"Yes, Dad," muttered Merikah, hanging her head.

"How are your eyes doing, Merikah?" Ariyami asked.

"Much better, thanks to you," she said, smiling. "I don't know if I'd be seeing anything right now if it weren't for you."

"We'll see you all tomorrow, then." Yukio budded in. And with that, Yukio, Alanoko, and Merikah all turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

"Well, this has been one confusing night," murmured Ariyami.

"I couldn't agree with you more," agreed Muruha. "Shall we go, Aruanna?" and he and Aruanna left.

"I guess we'll all meet in the Digital World tomorrow then," Lilith and Cairrio bowed a good-bye to Ken, Ariyuki, and Ariyami, and also left.

"So, what should we do now?" Ariyami asked, yawning.

"I guess we go home and face Mom and Dad's wrath." admitted Ken, cringing at the thought of it. 

"Aww, don't worry about it," said Ariyami, scoffing. "They won't be too made. You were kidnapped. What's the worse that could happen?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I CAN'T _BELIEVE _YOU TWO!"

"You were supposed to watch out for Ariyuki! He's your little brother, for crying out loud!"

Ken and Ariyami sat down and took the rants that their parents were giving them. They kept shouting things like "You should have been more careful!" and "Ariyuki and you _both _could have been killed!"

_I can't believe Ariyuki's not in trouble_, thought Ariyami, completely ignoring his parents' scolding. _Just because he's little…_

Ariyuki watched through the crack in the door as Ken and Ariyami got an earful of reprimanding. "Just be happy," reminded Midori, "that it's not you out there."

"You got a point," whispered Ariyuki.

When Ken and Ariyami received a sentence of extra chores for two weeks, they reentered their room and shut the door behind themselves. "How'd it go?" Wormmon asked from the perch of Ariyuki's shoulder while Midori sat on the other one.

"Extra chores for two weeks?! Who does she think she is?!" Ariyami howled, flumping onto Ariyuki's bottom bunk. 

"She thinks she's our mom, and she's right," Ariyuki pointed out.

"Whose side are you on?!" Ariyami bellowed, throwing a shoe at him. Ariyuki dodged it and frowned at Ariyami's bad attitude.

"Don't worry about it, Ariyami," Ken proclaimed, sitting next to him. "Dad can give far worse punishments. This is nothing." realizing the time (10:30), Ken felt his eyes suddenly sting with weariness. "I think it's time for bed now."

Dawn the next day; Ken was awakened by Ariyuki who had the phone in his hands. "Wha…what is it?"

"It's Lilith." he answered happily, handing Ken the phone then leaping off the ladder.

Ken sat up and groaned. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Ken. Are you up and awake? I just got a call from Merikah and she said to meet her, her father, and Yukio in the Digital World soon._"

"Seriously? A-alright. My brothers and I will be there soon. Okay. See ya then." and he pushed the talk button on the phone to turn it off. Glancing at the clock and realizing that it was 1:50, however, and he was wide awake. How could he have slept so late?

He climbed down the ladder and dressed, wearing his blue T-shirt with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath. He tucked both shirts under his blue jeans and slipped on a pair of white socks. When he entered the living room, he found that the other two were already dressed and sitting on the floor in front of the television, play Goddess Rampage again. "Where's Mom and dad?" he asked them both.

They paused their game to answer. "They went to the store to buy dinner," Ariyuki told him.

Ariyami's eyes looked content. "Noodles and fried chicken tonight." Ken saw he was drooling comically, lost in his own world of food.

"Anyway," Ariyuki leapt on Ariyami's shoulders, "Wormmon, Neomon, and Midori are all ready to go. They said that if that man _is _in the Digiworld, we'll need their help."

"Smart move," Ken approved, smiling. "In the mean time, is there anything to eat?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dad! What's taking everyone? Why aren't they here yet?!" Merikah whined, sitting on top of a boulder that was next to a slowly running stream. She, her father, and her uncle had ended up in a forest when they entered the Digital World.

Yukio splashed his face in the ice cold water to make his eyes feel better. "What made you decide to bring her?" he asked Alanoko, chuckling to himself.

"I don't know," he replied impatiently, drinking some of the frigid water. "She wouldn't leave me alone."

"Hello there!" they each heard a calling in the distance. The young red head girl and her two Digimon came running down the dirt trail toward them. Lilith stopped as soon as she reached them, while Cairrio (in champion form) lost control of his footing and tripped into the water. He resurfaced, shivering.

"C-cold. Cold. Very cold." he stammered, his teeth chattering. Yukio laughed and pulled Cairrio out of the water by his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked, still chuckling while Cairrio nodded vigorously, mainly because he could hardly control it.

"Oh, poor thing," Alanoko sympathized, taking off his red and purple sweater (he had a red tank top underneath) and putting it on Cairrio. Forgetting he was champion level, he grinned up at Alan and trilled his thanks.

"Come here, Cairrio," Lilith called gently, holding her arms out. Cairrio immediately ran into them, purring. Thinking, in an attempt to make Cairrio feel better, she took off her red jewel pendant and placed it over his head and around his neck. He smiled happily at her. "Have any of you seen Ken or the other two?" all three of them shook their heads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now, Ken, explain to me again why we're calling the others," Ariyami repeated himself for the seventh time while Ken dialed Davis' number. Ken silenced him with a finger to his own lips.

"_Motomiya Residents,_" Ken heard Davis' bored voice.

"Hey, Davis," said Ken. "Look, how fast can you found everyone up to get to the Digital World?"

"_Well, if I mention food, everyone should get there in about ten minutes_." Davis responded, now sounding happy and excited.

__

"That's fast enough. Look, when we get there, there's gonna be some explaining, so I need everyone to be patient, alright? Can you remember all this?" he added teasingly.

__

"_Ha, ha. Very funny._" mumbled Davis. "_Yeah, yeah, I got it all. Bye._"

__

Sighing, Ken hung up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, ready to go, guys?" Ken asked his brothers, smiling weakly at them.

__

"Yeah!" they both shouted, leaping into the air. It took only three minutes for the three of them to grab their digivices, call their Digimon partners, and become surrounded by a brilliant white radiance.

They landed feet first in the middle of a forest. Ariyuki loved the look and the feel of being in such a nice and cool wooded area so much that he leaned against a rock and slid down, sighing, Midori lounging on his head.

"So, where are the others suppose to be, Ken?" asked Wormmon from Ken's arms.

"I dunno. I suppose around here somewhere."

Then they each heard the sound of someone yelling; Ariyami and Ken wheeled around while Ariyuki leaped to his feet, causing Midori to fall off his head and into his quickly catching arms. Merikah came darting toward them and came to a stop right in front of Ariyami.

"What took you?" she asked, almost getting right into his face.

"Sorry, Merikah," he admitted, backing away, "We got a little delayed."

"Well, okay. C'mon, Lilith is already here and we're all ready to go!" she began leading the way, taking giant strides and leaving the three boys to ponder. 

__

At the stream, after saying hello to Alanoko and Yukio, Ken, followed by Ariyuki, drank some of the cold water.He then stared in confusion at the Digimon, Cairrio, wondering why he was so wet and wearing a sweater that was too big. Lilith explained the incident to Ken, making him chuckle and Ariyami nearly fall to the ground with laughter. Then they heard non-stop chattering; the other five Digidestined were coming their way.

"Oh, my," Yukio gasped then looked frantically around for somewhere to hide. He spotted the boulder, but found himself detained by his older brother.

"You can't keep hiding from them." he hissed in Yukio's ear.

"Hey, guys!" cried Ken, waving his free arm that wasn't holding Wormmon.

"Hey, Ken!" Davis shouted, running up to him, the others close behind.

After everyone settled at the stream, Yolei began looking around. "Alright, so where's this picnic suppose to be, Davis?"

The goggled boy laughed nervously. "Um, about that-"

At that moment, Yolei leapt to her feet, pointing right at Yukio. "Oh, My God!" she cried. Everyone else was just as shocked. In no time, Ken was forced to this tired explanation.

When he had finished, Cody had a mouthful of anger to deliver to Ken. "Why didn't you ever call us or your Digimon for help?! We would've been there! Are you trying to avoid us or something?!"

"Hello!" Ken retaliated, "My arms were bound, and I was almost in for a world of pain! _Ah!_" Ken's sentence was cut short, for at that moment the back of his neck began to throb with pain.

"What's wrong?" Yolei asked, wondering whether or not to approach him.

"My neck, that's what," he mumbled, rubbing it vigorously in attempt to dull the pain.

"Wait a second," Ariyuki muttered. He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Mine neck hurts a little, too. But only a little."

"Has it ever done this before?" Takeru asked.

"Only when…when I get really angry. I told you guys my dark spore was reawakened. Sorry, Cody." he added to the little boy.

"Hey," he replied apologetically, scratching the back of his head. "I'm the one that got you mad. I should be sorry."

"Then, what about Ariyuki?" Kari asked.

Ken stiffened, his eyes suddenly wary. "The other time is only when a dark Digimon is around. The only dark Digimon I know of right now is-"

"Ladydevimon, perhaps?" a voice interrupted.

Everyone whirled around to see Kohito and Ladydevimon ten feet away. "Kohito." both Yukio and Alanoko said. 

"That's right, my brothers," he announced proudly. "And I knew that you'd lower yourselves to help these worthless brats." he spat.

"These children aren't worthless, and neither is their cause," Yukio snarled.

"Careful, brother," taunted Kohito. "That temper of yours is rising. You wouldn't want to get one of your friends hurt, now would you?" Yukio had had enough. He waved his hand, and when he did, Kohito was lifted off his feet and into a tree.

"Be careful, Yukio!" scolded Alanoko. "We're not aiming to kill, here!"

"You all may not be. But I am!" Kohito leapt out of the tree and formed a ball of fire and hurled it at Yukio, who dodged, but only barely. Then Kohito stopped his attempt at burning Yukio and stared up at the sky. "You know, I don't like these surroundings. I prefer we go somewhere else."

"We're staying right here, Kohito!" retorted Alanoko, helping Yukio to his feet.

"You may, but then how will you ever catch me?" and with a grin, he disappeared along with his partner, Ladydevimon.

"Where'd he go?" Lilith cried in alarm, gazing all around her.

"He wants to find a more closed-in area to give himself the advantage," explained Yukio. "He's always done this. Picky little brat."

"Well, let's go find him!" shouted Davis in his why-are-we-just-standing-here tone of voice.

"Yeah!" agreed Ariyuki.

"Wait," interrupted Lilith. "Before we go anywhere, I want to collect some herbs to help us. This won't take long. Just wait here and protect Cairrio and Nekomata for me."

Nekomata stuck up her digital nose. "You act as if I can't take care of myself," she mumbled. This was so degrading.

While Lilith was gone, everyone lazed around, waiting for her. Yolei sat under the shade of a tree while Cairrio accompanied her. She sat and sighed while Cairrio picked at the grass. "Yolei?" he suddenly asked.

"Yeah?"

"Are some Digimon bad?"

"Why do you ask that?" Yolei wanted to know, turning toward the young Digimon.

"I heard you guys once talking about a Digimon named Myotismon. You don't seem to like him." he told her.

"Well, that's because he's not just bad, Cairrio. He's evil. He'd take control of people and possess them until they're all used up. Like a doll." she watched as Cairrio gulped at the thought of being controlled like that.

"Are Digimon born bad?" he continued.

"Well, maybe. I'm sure Myotismon was. He's been reconfigured countless times and refuses to give up being evil. Why are you asking all this?" 

"No reason," he responded. He fell back on his back along with Yolei and sighed. "Ya know what? One day, I'm gonna find Myotismon."

"What?" Yolei sat back up at these words. "Why, Cairrio? He'd tear you to pieces."

"I wanna…I wanna make him good." he grinned happily as though this was already accomplished.

"Cairrio…" Yolei stared at the young, illogically naïve Digimon. "Myotismon…he can't be good. He's been given so many chances; we've even agreed to spare his life once, and he thanked us by trying to kill us."

"But-"

"Cairrio, you're one of those Digimon who think there's a good side to everyone. Some people just don't have it and Myotismon is certainly _no _exception." Yolei began to make her voice harsh.

"But, maybe I can show him that there's more to life than being bad. I could show him the good things like ice cream and games and toys. See?" Cairrio refused to lose this argument.

"Cairrio, there's just no way."

"Says who?!"

"You're madly naïve, ya know that?!" 

"No! You're just stupid!" and with that, Cairrio dashed into the woods, but not before kicking Yolei in the shin. After screaming her rage, Yolei had come to the grips of what just happened and ran to the others.

"Are you serious?" Davis inquired impatiently, his hands on his hips.

"When Lilith finds out, she'll throw a fit!" Kari cried.

"When I find out what?" came Lilith's voice from behind.

Yolei, terrified, faced Lilith. "Cairrio-he, uh…he…he ran away."

Lilith nearly dropped her bag of herbs in shock. "Why?! What happened?!" she began to pace back and forth, listening to Yolei's story of what happened. "Oh, Cairrio," she whispered. Then she set off into the forest, Nekomata right on her heels.

"Where are you going?" Ken asked.

"I have to find him!" she shouted back, disappearing. 

Ken made to go after her, but Alanoko stopped him. "Let her go," he ordered softly. "She needs to find him. _We_, on the other hand, need to find Kohito, before he causes any more trouble."

While Lilith proceeded to searching for her young Digimon, the others decided to go looking for Kohito. Deep into the dark forest they trudged, keeping wary eyes out for their foe, and half hoping that they wouldn't spot him anywhere. For Ariyuki however, no one heard his prayer; while gazing to this left, he spotted the torn wings of the Digimon Ladydevimon.

"Look out!" he shouted, falling to the ground. Everyone copied him just in time as a large black beam of light shot at them all where they were standing. They leapt back up and stared in fury at Kohito and his fallen angel-like Digimon.

"Trust someone like _you, _Kohito, to use sneaky, underhanded tactics to attack your foes." snarled Alanoko.

"And trust someone like you to take the orders of a child." retorted Kohito.

"This _child_ saved our lives!" Yukio bellowed, taking one enraged step forward. At that moment, however, a large screeching _something _came swooping down at lightning speed at Yukio; he only avoided being ripped to shreds by large talons because his brother knocked him to the ground.

"What _is _that?!" Takeru cried, pointing at the creature. It had the head and body of a woman, yet bird talons for legs and feet and wings for arms. The wings on this creature were unusual; one was pink and the other one was green.

"It…it looks like…a harpy," Ken breathed in awe. He'd read about these mythical creatures in folklore, but _never _in his life did he expect to actually see one. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kohito asked with pride. "I call her Harpymon!" the dark creation fluttered down to her master, kneeling so she could have her emerald hair stroked by Kohito. "Not the Harpymon you're thinking of. This one is my _special_ creation. Aren't you?" He stroked her glossy wings, causing her to move closer to him.

"Why would you create such a thing?!" Yolei cried, making the Harpymon growl.

"So rude," scolded Kohito, grinning. "She's my ultimate creation. No Digimon can stand a chance against her. If you'll stay, you can see first hand her awesome power. Which one wants to die first?"

Wormmon leapt out of Ken's arms and Digivolved into Stingmon. "Ken," he said, not taking his eyes off the Harpymon. "I'll take care of this. Just stand back."

"Our first victim," hissed Kohito in his creation's ear. "Show him what happens when you're insulted." the Harpymon (unable to speak), screeched her agreement and shot up into the air, soaring high into the sky.

"Come back, coward!" shouted Stingmon, darting after her. Just as he flew past the trees, however, he found himself quickly dodging a pair of pink laser blasts that came from the Harpymon's wings. The Digidestined on the ground had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit by the blast themselves.

"This isn't going to be as easy as I thought…"muttered Davis, staring at Stingmon with worry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cairrio! Cairrio, where are you?!" Lilith ran through the forest, calling for her Digimon. Where could he have gone and why would he hide from her?

"I don't think we'll be finding him any time soon," said Nekomata. "He must be pretty upset."

"Don't talk like that, Nekomata," snapped Lilith, not looking down at her companion. "I know Cairrio wouldn't hide from me unless he thought we were playing." then she and Nekomata came into a clearing and saw they had reached a beach. The sparkling water shone from the sun in the sky. Lilith inhaled the scent of ocean into her lungs and sighed; how relaxing.

Then she saw something shimmer down by the water. She slowly approached it until her feet came to a stop in front of it. She bent down and picked up her red pendant. Cairrio must have taken it off. She held it close, fear now pumping into her heart. Why would Cairrio take off the pendant that she gave him?

"Cairrio! Oh, Cairrio, please come out! Don't hide from me anymore!" she now realized that tears were forming in her eyes. Just when she thought about dropping to her knees and crying, she heard a voice.

"Mommy?" Lilith turned her head behind her and saw Cairrio coming out of a bush, worry on his face. 

Lilith over-looked the "Mommy" thing, because Cairrio had been calling her that for the past few days. However, she bent down and held out her arms. "Cairrio, come here, sweetie."

At first she realized he was hesitating. However, at that moment he ran non-stop towards her until he was safe in her arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I got upset and threw the necklace off. Yolei made me mad. I know she didn't mean to, though."

"It's okay," Lilith replied, thankful that Cairrio was alive and okay. "C'mon," she said, pulling away and standing up. "Let's go find the others. They may need our help." she smiled at him and he laughed. At that moment, however, Cairrio's ears twitched.

He turned behind him and saw a big, black _thing _coming out of the water. His tail brushed out and he hissed. Wondering what was wrong, Lilith turned behind herself to take a look and saw the same thing. "What is that?" Lilith asked herself.

"My, how rude," they heard it say in a dark, watery voice that sent a chill up both their spines. Lilith then took notice to the two white tentacle-like things sprouting from its back. Its arms and legs were white and it had what looked like a torn black cape. "Don't you know a proud Marinedevimon when you see one?"

"Marinedevimon?" Lilith repeated, confused.

"I know him," growled Cairrio. "An ultimate level Digimon who lives in the sea. He likes to sneak up on his prey before paralyzing them with the poison shards in his tentacles."

"I think we should get outta here, Cairrio," Lilith murmured to him.

"Leaving already? But I haven't even begun to have fun yet." he hissed with delight at the thought of three easy prey. He would eat well tonight. Being reckless, Nekomata hissed and leapt toward Marinedevimon, only to be smacked unconscious by his powerful arm.

"Lilith, you take Nekomata and run! I'll take care of him." Cairrio told her, stepping in between her and the Marinedevimon.

"Cairrio, you can't. He's an ultimate level and you're just a champion." Lilith grabbed his arm and tried to make him run with her, but he refused.

"Lilith, I'm always the one who runs. I'm not going to today. This is my chance to prove to you that I can protect you just as well as Nekomata." before Lilith could say another word, Cairrio darted off toward Marinedevimon, his claws extracted and flexed.

Marinedevimon laughed and didn't move; Cairrio swiped up and his claws made a direct hit, but barely effected Marinedevimon. Cairrio didn't even have a chance to marvel at the strength of his foe, because just when his claws sank in, Marinedevimon's white tail wrapped around him and threw him hard against the ground.

Lilith screamed when this happened, catching the virus Digimon's attention. He grinned and approached her, leaving Cairrio on the ground. He was very weak and could hardly move, but Lilith's scream forced determination into him. "I _can _protect her," he muttered, trying to stand up.

While Cairrio was trying to regain his strength and balance, Lilith was skirting around Marinedevimon, occasionally calling upon the element of fire and blasting at him, having hardly any effect. Then Marinedevimon charged at her, his white claws raised. However, not only did Lilith summon up a shield strong enough to repel his attack, but Cairrio leapt on his back and began biting and clawing viciously. "Get off, you vial Digimon!" he bellowed, throwing the champion level off him and into a rock wall.

"_Cairrio_!" Lilith made to run to him, but found herself blocked by Marinedevimon. She was forced back against a wall, helpless. Cairrio lurched himself in a sitting position, unable to stand. "Cairrio!" Lilith cried again, covering her eyes in fear.

"_Lilith!_" Cairrio screamed, unwilling to accept the fact that he failed. At the moment, when all hope was lost, Lilith's silver Digivice began to shine brightly, forcing the dark Digimon back, screaming. Astounded, Lilith watched as Cairrio began to shine white. "Myomon, Digivolve to…"

Lilith stared in wonder at the new Digimon now in front of her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Really, children, is this the best you can muster?" taunted Kohito, throwing the weak and battered Merikah to the ground. For the past fifteen minutes after the battle between Stingmon and Harpymon had begun, Exveemon, Angewomon, Angemon, Aquilamon, Shadowmon, and Stingaraymon (Cody's Digimon couldn't attack in the air) had joined in. All attacks failed to even phase the seemingly invincible Digimon. Even the mages and non-mages tried their power to attack Kohito, and he reflected them all.

Once Harpymon had finished her Slice and Dice move on the final Digimon standing, Stingaraymon, she, like the other seven, returned to rookie form and lay on the ground, unable to attack anymore. Ken and the others knew they didn't stand a chance against Kohito after he finished pummeling Merikah until she actually cried. "Admit defeat now, _kids_," he added. "You can't possibly defeat me! You can't even phase my precious Harpymon. Do you know why?" he seemed to be brimming with delight.

"What does it matter?" Ken replied viciously, wishing more than ever that he had the strength to kill Kohito.

"You see, I created her with a special immunity. Only dark Digimon will be able to hurt her. You know, virus, like Devimon, Myotismon, etcetera." his grin broadened.

"Then, how…" Ken began.

"How can you possibly hope to damage her?" Kohito finished for him. "Well, you can't. That's the beauty of it. No virus would want to destroy her." his Digimon flew down by his side and accepted the praise from her master.

"We'll find a way to destroy that horrible, ugly thing!" bellowed Ariyami in his usual defiant tone; a tone that irritated Kohito. "It doesn't matter _what _you throw at us! You'll always be the weakest enemy we've ever faced!"

"You know, I think we should start off by destroying _that _one," Kohito said to his Harpymon, pointing at Neomon. Ariyami gasped in fear; he knew something like this would happen, but he never would have guessed _his_ Digimon! "Now, go, Harpymon! Destroy that worthless Digimon!"

Screeching like an eagle, Harpymon charged for Neomon. Then she leapt up in mid-air to deliver an aerial attack. At that moment, a long, thin, red cord shot out of the trees and wrapped around Harpymon's legs. She screamed at whatever had done it and shot her pink laser beams at it. Then, the holder of the whip stepped out of the trees… 

Long black and red cape, royal blue outfit, pale skin, and the most distinguishing feature of a winged red mask, Myotismon came into the light. He had a firm grip on his Crimson Lightning whip. "Myotismon?!" Kohito practically screamed as though this were an insult. "These children are _mine _to destroy! _I _found them first! Release my Harpymon and let her finish them off!"

"I'm afraid that can't be done," he replied coolly, pulling the Harpymon in slowly. "Here, birdie, birdie." the Digimon flailed violently in the air, desperate to escape from Myotismon. Once she was on the ground, he tied the other end of the whip to a tree to hold her. Then he turned to Kohito. "I suggest you run now."

Kohito looked outraged, his fists clenched and his face red with anger. "Fine!" he finally spat. "If you want to kill them yourself then so be it! Don't you _dare _think this is over, though!" and with that, he turned and fled, Ladydevimon behind him.

Myotismon turned to face the Digidestined, but found himself kicked hard in the head by a Crystal Digivolved Mysticmon. Before he could stand up and defend himself, he was electrified by Shadowmon's Phychic Dragon. Anger and hatred had fueled the Digivolution of Midori and Neomon. "Hit him while he's down!" Ariyami cried, determined not to let Myotismon escape with his life.

"Don't let him get away!" Ken also shouted.

Now the other Digimon had joined the fray, attacking Myotismon with no mercy. They were glad to see that Myotismon could hardly react. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?!" Yolei said to him, unable to wait until the moment when Myotismon would be deleted.

The small army of Digimon stopped attacking and backed away so Ken and Davis could DNA Digivolve Stingmon and Exveemon and finish him. They did.

"Exveemon…"

"Stingmon…"

"DNA Digivolve to…Paildramon!" Myotismon was laying on the ground, panting heavily, bleeding, bruised, scraped. It would have almost been a pity to destroy him if he wasn't so…_evil._ "Say good-bye, Myotismon." said Paildramon, before…"Desperado Blaster!" 

One giant beam formed from the two cannons and blasted right for Myotismon. Then…

"_Stop it!_" Lilith ran into view and stepped in between the blast and Myotismon, her arms outstretched. "Please don't hurt him!"

"Lilith, get outta the way!" Ariyami shouted. Lilith refused to move and the beam grew closer. Then, it exploded, bright light flashing everywhere, forcing the Digidestined to shield their eyes.

"No!" everyone cried. Then, everything went silent, much like when it did when Malomyotismon was destroyed. The light dimmed and they could look again. What they saw astounded them. Myotismon had saved Lilith by pulling her to the ground and shielding her with his body.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Uh, huh," she replied, nodding. Then she stood up and faced the others. "I don't _ever_ want you to do that again." she told them sternly.

"Lilith, what have you done? You just saved the most evil Digimon of all time!" Cody bellowed.

"Don't say that!" Lilith snapped back. Then a bright light came from behind her. She stepped aside and Myotismon was gone, replaced by a small black creature laying in a heap on the ground. Lilith bent down and scooped it up. "Oh, Cairrio."

"CAIRRIO?!" everyone but Ariyuki cried.

"You-you mean to tell me that-that-that _monster_ is Cairrio?!" Yolei shouted, pointing at him.

"Now, that's enough! All of you!" Lilith scolded. "How do you think he feels? You all _use _to like him!"

"Yeah, but that was _before _this!" Cody retorted. "How can you still stand up for him, after all he's put us through! After all he's put _you _through?!"

"Because he doesn't know," Lilith said softly. "He doesn't know what he did. I forgive him, because he's fighting for us now, and always will, because he has a kind heart now."

While the others hesitated to go near them, Ariyuki walked up and held out his hands. "Can I hold him?" he asked.

After a brief moment of shock, Lilith smiled and Cairrio made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Of course," she placed the small Cairrio into Ariyuki's arms. The youngling stroked his sleek black fur then turned and faced the others.

"He seems nice to me," he said to them all.

When the others said nothing, Lilith spoke up. "Stand there and hate him if you want, but I'm tired and I'm going home now." she gently took Cairrio from Ariyuki's hands and made to leave, but the young Digimon stopped her with a trilling noise. "Oh." she turned to the tree with the Harpymon still tied to it. "I forgot."

When the Harpymon realized she was approaching her, she scooted away and whimpered. "It's okay," Lilith told her soothingly. It seemed that without her master, the Digimon was completely helpless. Cairrio leapt out of Lilith's arms and chewed through the whip, making it disappear. "You're free now," she said. "You can go."

Harpymon didn't know what to think. This human of whom her master would have instantly instructed her to kill spared her life and lets her go. After thinking, she stood up (being twice as tall as Lilith) and approached Lilith, kneeling down again and rubbing her head against Lilith's stomach. "It looks like you've got a new friend," Lilith heard Nekomata say, coming out of the bushes.

"You can't be serious," she muttered hopelessly, stroking the long green hair of Harpymon. "Well, I'm too tired to argue. Shall we go home everyone?" and without even looking at the other Digidestined, she made to leave, but Ken called her back.

"Lilith, wait!" he ran up to her and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I-I just wanted to tell you, I…I accept Cairrio for who he is." carefully, he scratched behind Cairrio's ears.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Davis ran up to them. "If the little guy's okay in Ken's book, the he's okay by me!" and he too pet the little Digimon.

"Me too!" Ariyuki came to them.

"I don't see a problem anymore," said Kari, who had walked up to them, followed closely by Ariyami, who as also ready to take Cairrio in. Takeru also followed, as did Yolei. Even Cody came, though he didn't really forgive Cairrio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lilith was glad to be home; she fell right onto the sofa in the living room and sighed, stroking Cairrio's fur. How confusing it all was, though it also made sense in a way. Now she knew where Cairrio came from. Then she heard footsteps coming from the stairs; Lyle was heading her way.

"Oh, Lilith! There you are! How's everything in the Digital World?" he asked, plopping on the reclining chair.

"You don't wanna know," she replied, sighing again. Then, remembering something, she stood up and went into the kitchen. "Hey, Lyle," she called. "There's something I want you to see."

"What is it?" he asked, giving attention to Nekomata, who had jumped into his lap. A few seconds later he found exactly _what._ Lilith brought the Harpymon into the living room. Lyle screamed in shock and fell out of the chair, almost landing on Nekomata, who scrambled under the sofa. "What on Earth?!"

"Lyle," Lilith said. "This is Harpymon." 


	21. More Truth

Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Midori, Kii, Ariyami, Neomon, Alanoko, Merikah, Lilith Tsutomo, Lyle Tsutomo, William Knightsphere, Nekomata, Cairrio, Kohito, Harpymon (my version. More to come in future chapters). I don't own Digimon, the Digidestined, or their parents. By the way, I know this came VERY late, but our internet broke on us. It's probably gonna do it again, too._ Well, if the next chapter doesn't come for a while, you'll know why…^_^'

Chapter Twenty One:

More Truth

__

Born from darkness, in the light, the child exists in shadow,

Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight,

Yet know he not the road is long and should he stray from right,

Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may evil grow that night

"NO! No, no, no! That's not how ya do it! Give it here, I'll show you!" an annoyed William was trying to demonstrate to Harpymon how to scrub dishes just right. She had clawed hands at the end of her wings to allow her to grab things, but it didn't help much. She had smashed three china bowls and two crystal glasses in an attempt to fasten her claws around them.

Lilith as also helping, and trying to comfort Harpymon while William yelled at her. "Lighten up, Will. She doesn't know how to do this, do you?" she stroked Harpymon's wings. She croaked a reply deep in her throat and went back to scrubbing pots, one of the only things her powerful claws could not break. "She'll understand it in time."

"Hey, Lilith!" called Lyle from the living room. Sighing, Lilith entered, wondering what he wanted. "I haven't seen little Cairrio around lately. Is he okay?"

Lilith hesitated to respond. Cairrio hadn't left Lilith's room ever since they came back from the Digital World. He seemed…afraid. "He's just not feeling very well," she lied, smiling sympathetically. "I'll go check on him." 

On her way up the stairs, she cringed as she heard the sound of another dish shattering and William screaming his lungs out at Harpymon. Upon entering her room, she gasped as she saw her room's window wide open and Cairrio no where in sight! Breathing heavily, she dashed through the window and looked around, sighing when she saw he was simply sitting on the lower roof below her. She climbed through her window and sat down next to him, staring at the mountains on the horizon of the trees.

"What's on your mind, Cairrio?" Lilith asked.

"What's wrong with everyone?" he responded absently, staring out at the sky, his white tail twitching lazily. "They seem so…scared of me now, even hateful. Cody seems to _really _hate me now." he bent his head down and sighed hopelessly, his shoulders shaking. "What did I do, Mommy? What did I do?" he started to cry into his knees.

Lilith chuckled and pulled him close. "Oh, sweetie…everyone does bad things in the past, even if they don't mean to. Why, I remember when Sovereign-"

"What I did must not have been an accident, Mommy! I did something really bad, I know it! I'm bad!"

"Is that what you think? Is that what _I _think?" Lilith said sternly. "I think you're a very sweet, thoughtful, and courageous Digimon, Cairrio. So what if you did mean or bad things in the past? You can't change it, and you're not like that anymore, are you?"

"Do you think everyone hates me?" he continued, acting as though he had not heard a word, though he had.

"What do _you_ think? Ariyuki is your best friend. Do you think he hates you _just _because of what you can Digivolve into?" Cairrio looked up at her, wiped his eyes, and laughed. Then Lilith giggled and lifted Cairrio into the air.

"I think Ariyuki's gonna be my friend forever, Lilith. You're right." so, smiling with delight, Cairrio and Lilith slid back through the window and downstairs for a snack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"_Don't worry, Tsunami! I'll get you outta this! Get back, you monsters!_" Ariyuki and Ariyami were seated on the couch, watching _Goddess Rampage _with complete interest.

"Be careful, Mhera," Ariyuki breathed, watching as his favorite Goddess tried to defend her partner.

"Ariyami!" called Molly from the kitchen, drying off a glass cup with a hand towel. "What about these dishes, dear? They need to be put away."

"Yes, Mom. Hang on a second," Ariyami droned, hardly paying attention to what his mother had just said.

Then Ken entered the living room, fully dressed and looking energetic. "Are you guys ready to go yet?" he asked with enthusiasm.

"Go where?" both Ariyuki and Ariyami said together, looking confused.

"To the park, guys! We agreed on going yesterday!" his voice was both full of energy and a bit of irritation, as if this was obvious.

"Ken, you feelin' okay?" Ariyami asked, wondering just where all this energy of Ken's came from.

"Of course! Now c'mon, guys!" Ken was now bouncing on his tiptoes. 

"Okay!" Ariyuki raised his hand into the air and leapt off the couch. Ariyami looked completely annoyed. What was going on? Surely that dark spore didn't have _this _much influence on Ken…or did it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aruanna yawned and stretched. The day was so beautiful, it seemed only right to go walking. With a book in her hand, she set out toward the park, a grin of delight on her face. Then she heard a voice, making her stop and turn around. She let out a small gasp.

"So, where are you heading, my dear?" it was Kohito! "It's such a nice day, you wouldn't be planning to go to the park, now would you?"

Aruanna didn't do or say anything for the longest time. Then she turned around and began walking away, saying sternly "Leave me alone!".

"Not so fast, now," whispered Kohito, walking fast to catch up with the lovely young lady. "Why run away from me? I have no grudge against you, except for the fact that you help the Digidestined."

"It's _far _better than helping a slime ball such as yourself." she snapped back, not looking at him.

"Yes, I see. You'd much rather spend all your time with little Ariyuki, now wouldn't you?" these words made Aruanna slow down. "Yes, I know you have a _soft spot _for the tyke. Wouldn't it be such a pity if something were to happen to him? If he were to be hurt in any way? Oh, wouldn't you just feel terrible?"

"Now here this! You will not get anything such as fear from me!" Aruanna bellowed. "Using Ariyuki as a reason to get me to help you is pointless! I have no such _soft spot _for him. He's like any other student I have." she tried to continue walking, but Kohito blocked her off.

"Lying is something you just can't do," he hissed. "I see the way you get when you look at him. When he tries to hold your hand or hug you, you get all red and soft like a young mother would. If something were to happen to Ariyuki, you'd never forgive yourself."

Aruanna had had enough. She gripped Kohito's arm painfully tight. "If you ever, _ever _do anything to Ariyuki, I swear I'll kill you." she whispered fiercely, finally letting go. She walked off swiftly.

Kohito grimaced as he looked upon the four cuts that were left from her long fingernails. "We'll just see about that, now won't we?" he glared at her disappearing figure, then stalked off in the other direction.

Aruanna tried to shake off the entire conversation with Kohito, but couldn't. Ariyuki kept entering her mind. What if Kohito really planned to hurt him? "I'll slice him open and make him eat his own intestines first," she muttered to herself, sitting on a bench shaded by a tree and opening her book, actually picturing doing such a thing; it wasn't a pleasant sight.

"Lookie, over here!" a high pitch voice got Aruanna's attention. She stared up and saw none other than Ariyuki running around in a field before her. She chuckled, watching him fall down on purpose, saying, "I've fallen and I can't get up.". Then she saw something green leaping around in the tall grass; Ariyuki's strange cat, Midori.

A glimmer of silver then caught Ariyuki's attention and he stood up. Aruanna's hair was shining through small patches of sun. "Miss Aruanna!" he cried, running toward her, Midori at his heels. 

Aruanna stood and immediately found herself being squeezed by Ariyuki. "How are you, Ariyuki?" she asked, looking down at him with a smile.

"I'm okay," he replied. "Me, Ken, and Ariyami just came to the park. How 'bout you?"

Aruanna over-looked his grammar mistakes and said, "I just came to read a book. I sure didn't expect to see you here."

"On a wonderful day like this?" called a voice from somewhere. Looking up, Aruanna saw Ariyami floating in the air, cross-legged. Then Ken came running through the long grass to get to his brothers.

"Oh, hello, Aruanna," Ken said diffidently. "How are you today?"

"I'm just fine," she lied, remembering her encounter with Kohito, putting on a falsely bright smile. Ariyuki then looked down the sidewalk and saw a tall white figure moving toward them.

"Oh, look! It's Mister Muruha!" the excited youngling darted down the sidewalk. He noticed Muruha was going red and had something behind his back. "What's that?" he asked.

He sounded nervous. "Oh, this? Well, it's-it's just-something. Something for Aruanna. Um, excuse me." he bustled past Ariyuki, who was giggling at Muruha's anxiety. He stopped in front of the baffled Aruanna, trying to move his arms, but finding it ridiculously hard.

Then Ariyuki walked behind Muruha and grabbed his hands, forcing them forward. Muruha found his unwilling arms presenting Aruanna with a bouquet of flowers. Aruanna gasped and went red, what with the three young viewers watching. "Oh, Muruha," she whispered, taking the flowers. She noticed Muruha was redder than she'd ever seen him, his eyes glued to the floor.

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, turning him completely pale. "Well, I'd best be going," she told Ariyuki and his brothers. "Won't you come with me, Muruha?"

Muruha was completely dazed. "Yes, let us go," he drawled, sounding like he was under a spell. The two of them walked off, leaving Ariyuki to smile, Ken to ponder what would happen next, and Ariyami to laugh hysterically.

Then Midori hissed, her green fur on end, staring down the opposite end of the sidewalk. The familiar figure of Kohito made its appearance. Ken frowned and Ariyami growled deep in his throat. He walked right past the three boys and their Digimon, grinning the whole way. Then Ken heard him whisper, "It's already starting.".

Since the boys were out in broad daylight, they couldn't pound Kohito to the ground like they so desired, and the same with him. When he was completely out of sight, Ariyami stomped the ground so hard, his foot smashed right through the concrete. "Ariyami, watch it!" Ken cried.

"Well, what's hedoing around here, anyway?!" Ariyami demanded, trying to wrench his foot out of the ground.

"I dunno, but we should probably tell the others about this," Ken replied thoughtfully.

"Look, I can't go anywhere until I get my foot out!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After noon: Ken, Ariyuki, and Ariyami, each carrying their Digimon, walked down the sidewalk toward the park where they were to meet the others. "What do you think we'll have to do?" Ariyami asked Ken.

"Probably go to the Digital World again. I'm sure that's where Kohito wants us to go." Ken told him.

"Hey, I just thought of something," noted the older counterpart. "Where's Alan, Merikah and Yukio?"

"You'd know that better than us," said Ken, unable to help pondering the very same question.

Ariyuki was simply humming the _Goddess Rampage _theme song, not even listening to the conversation between the older ones. Then, before he could take another step, the back of Ariyuki's neck flared with pain. He gasped and whimpered, falling to his knees; Ken, Ariyami, Midori, Neomon, and Wormmon doubled back. "What's going on?!" Ariyami demanded, holding Ariyuki still.

Ken was unable to supply an answer; he looked around for anything dark or evil. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The only other explanation was…

"Here, give him to me," he commanded. Baffled, Ariyami agreed; Ken moved Ariyuki's hair out of the way and examined a particularly red spot where the dark spore had to be. Carefully, he pressed his thumb right underneath it, wincing as his thumb brushed against the dark spore. Ariyuki's eyes shot open as the pain disappeared; he quit crying and calmed down.

"What was _that?_" Ariyami wanted to know.

Ken helped Ariyuki to his unsteady feet. "It's a strange pressure point," he explained. "I learned of it when I was the Digimon Kaiser. Whenever I felt pain, I'd push right under where the dark spore was. Don't ask me how it works; I just don't know."

"What was going on?" Ariyuki asked, his eyes still teary.

"It's like your spore went on a feeding spree," said Ken. "It was trying to take as much energy as it could. It's really hard to explain. Don't worry; it shouldn't happen again any time soon. It went back into hibernation for a while." then he growled angrily. "Damn Kohito!"

Then a voice from behind them made them all jump. "What's going on here?" it was Aruanna. "Ariyuki, are you crying? What happened?" she stared at the other two with suspicion.

Ariyuki stared at her, cooking up an excuse in his head. "It's nothing; I just fell down-"

"Don't try to lie," she snapped. "I know this has something to do with the dark spores; they've all awakened and now the world is in grave danger again."

"One day you'll have to tell me how you know about all this," Ken told her, glaring.

"Well, on a lighter note, I was hoping little Ariyuki would come with me and Muruha," Aruanna explained. "We were planning on going to the mall and maybe the park."

Ariyuki's eyes lit up. Then he turned to his brothers. "Oh, please, Ken? Please?" he made his eyes as big as possible.

Ken smiled; surely he wouldn't be needed too badly in the Digital World, and he needed a break. "Of course. We'll meet up with you here in about-" he checked his watch"-five hours. Alright?"

"Okay!" Ariyuki agreed. Then he cheered loudly, dancing around, before grabbing Aruanna's hand and walking with her, Midori following them.

"Ken, is this such a good idea?" Ariyami asked. "I mean, he's the only one, apart from me, that can Crystal Digivolve!"

"I know," Ken replied. "But I think he needs a break; we can take care of the Digital World without him for now. C'mon, the others are waiting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, no," muttered Yolei, who was sitting at a picnic table along with the others. "We have to go back to the Digiworld where Kohito probably has a trap set up for us?"

"I know, I know; it's a vague plan, but it's the best we've got. If we don't start retaliating soon, Kohito's gonna build an army big enough to destroy the Digital World," Ken informed them all. 

"Not to mention," said a voice that came from Lilith, but wasn't hers, "he might get to the Talisman of Power before me! I'd rather kiss the back end of a Raremon before letting that happen!"

"Sovereign, who let you out?" Ken demanded, his hand to his forehead in frustration.

Sovereign puffed up indignantly. "Lilith did. She said I could speak my mind!" then she stuck her tongue out at Ken.

"You could at least show some more manners," snapped Wormmon for the first time from Ken's arms. "We've all been nice enough to let you talk; you might as well show some gratitude."

"The day that I show you _losers _gratitude is the day Infinity Mountain collapses," she muttered, turning her head away.

"Look, _brat_," barked Yolei, unable to believe hearing herself say that to Lilith, "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in a bind, here." 

"Yeah," added Takeru. "Quit having such a bad attitude for a change and help us out! It's the _least _you can do for all the havoc you've wreaked!"

Sovereign scoffed. "Yeah, whatever." then her eyes closed, and when they reopened, Lilith's bigger, warmer eyes were there.

"Lilith, I don't know why you let her hang out in you," indicated Cody, a sour frown on his face. "All she does is criticize us."

"I know, but that's because she doesn't like you, and because she knows that you'll always despise her," Lilith said sympathetically.

"Well, she'd better start liking us," huffed Yolei. "Either that, or she can go!"

"Look, I know Sovereign might not be friends with you, but she protects us. She protects me all the time and I know she'll do the same for you," Lilith pointed out hopelessly.

_How sure are you? _Lilith heard Sovereign hiss in her ear.

"Sovereign," she murmured. 

"Hey, guys," whined Davis, who was sitting on top of a picnic table and staying out of this conversation. "Let's go now! I'm tired of waiting!"

"Yeah, let's quit sitting here like a bunch of statues!" added Demiveemon from his perch on Davis' head.

So, the eight Digidestined and their Digimon headed toward the nearest house to the Digital World; Kari's. While walking, Lilith noticed how lonely Cairrio looked. "What's wrong, Cairrio?" she asked.

"Where's Ariyuki?" he asked, his giant blue eyes sad. "I really wanted to see him today…"

"Don't worry," Ken told him. "I'm sure you'll see him later today. He just went to spend today with his teacher." he smiled reassuringly at the young Digimon, who reminded him of Ariyuki a lot.

"Do ya think that's such a good idea?" Kari asked, overhearing the banter.

"Yeah, I think we'll be alright without him today." Ken replied. "A nice break is what he needs."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kari's apartment was much bigger than Davis'; her room was tidier as well. Ariyami would certainly know. He had been there once. But since it was in the middle of the night, no one else was to know that. 

"Are we ready?" Kari asked, putting her Digivice to her computer monitor. "Digi-port, open!" The ride to the Digital World seemed slower than usual; probably because of how determined they all were. They even ignored all of the brilliant colors around them that used to fascinate them to no end. They landed in a forest full of trees with thick trunks; there must be a lot of water nearby.

"Neomon," ordered Ariyami. "Crystal Digivolve and scout around; we need our bearings."

"Got it! Neomon, Crystal Digivolve to…Shadowmon!" the dark, hooded warrior-type Digimon took to the skies, guaranteeing that he would return shortly.

"This place seems familiar," noted Takeru, looking around. "Oh, I know! This is the place where we met Azulongmon!"

"Azu-what?" Ariyami mocked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"_Azulongmon!_" bellowed a voice from right over them. They all stared up in terror and surprise; Azulongmon, probably one of the strongest Digimon ever, was hovering above them, his many eyes watchful.

Cairrio squeaked with terror and hid behind Lilith. Nekomata hissed a warning; she had never met Azulongmon before. Everyone else stared in wonder at the massive, brilliant dragon-like creature in front of them. 

"Where'd you come from?!" Ariyami demanded, shaking his fist at the giant lizard.

"I can appear and disappear when I wish, Ichijouji," he said back rather harshly. "I wondered when I'd be seeing you all here again," his voice became warm and kind.

"It's so great to see you again after all this time," Kari told him sweetly.

"Yeah. How are things?" Davis asked happily. He'd always been interested in Azulongmon, no matter how many times he'd see him.

"Can't say much; that Kohito guy's been running around here recently. I'm afraid he's building up an army." Everyone gasped at these words. Ken didn't seem too surprised; he knew something like this would happen. "Tell me, where's little Ariyuki? I'm eager to see how much he's grown."

"He's not here right now," Ken confessed. "He's spending time with his teacher in the Real World."

"Ah, yes. Kii told me about this teacher of his. She seems very kind, but oddly familiar. Anyway, I'd _love _it if you wouldn't call your world the _Real _World. You make it sound like this world isn't real at all." Azulongmon told him, puffing up slightly. Then he spotted Cairrio hiding behind Lilith's leg. "And there's our little Myotismon. It looks like he's changed a bit; I guess spending time with Lilith is exactly what he needed." he beamed at Cairrio, making him blush.

"Again with the know-it-all people!" Ariyami exclaimed, his arms in the air. "First it was Aruanna who knows all about the dark spores, and now this guy knows everything about _us_!" (at this time Shadowmon had returned. He was just as shocked as Cairrio and Nekomata were to see Azulongmon)

"I don't appreciate your tone, Ariyami!" Azulongmon told him sternly. Then he swiveled his eyes on the other Digidestined. "Well, the reason I came to you all today was to talk to you about something the Guardian of Kindness and the Guardian of Friendship and Courage brought to my attention."

"The Guardian of-" Kari began, but Ken cut her off.

"Kii's the Guardian of Kindness, guys. She protects me and my crest. I forgot that there were others, though."

"Yes, well, anyway, they showed me something extraordinary." Azulongmon continued. "Out of nowhere four temples emerged from the ground. There's one deep in a forest, one by the shoreline, one near a volcano, and one on top of a mountain."

"What does it mean?" Lilith asked, completely fascinated. 

"It means I want you all to check it out. It could be something good, but it could be something bad as well. I advise you all to hurry; no doubt Kohito learned of these. He'll most likely be out to investigate. The one on the mountain is the closest; I suggest you go there first."

"Say no more, Azulongmon!" said Davis with determination. "We'll go check it out and report back soon! Let's go, guys!" In no time all the Digidestined were in the air. Cody and Upamon hitched a ride with Yolei, since his Digimon's Digivolving form of Submarimon couldn't fly very fast.

"So, what d'you think these temples are all about?" Ariyami asked Kari, holding his Digimon tightly in his arms.

"I can't really say. I'd like to say that they're something that'll help us, but I really don't know," she told him, thinking the very same thing.

Then, out of nowhere a screech came from in front of them. They looked ahead and saw Harpymon charging toward them, her eyes wild and eager to kill. "Hey, I thought Harpymon was on our side!" Ken called to Lilith.

Lilith was completely confused, until she noticed the wings on this Harpymon were different. "This isn't the same Harpymon! She's different!" she shouted to everyone from her perch on Nekomata's shoulder. 

"Alright, then! Let's get it!" Davis went charging forward with Exveemon, but then Lilith stopped him.

"We can't! Remember what Kohito said? Only virus type Digimon can hurt them!" then Nekomata turned to Ken.

"Ken, your Digimon's a virus type, I think! Why don't you and Cairrio attack her?" Nekomata suggested.

"If Stingmon's a virus type, then why couldn't he hurt the last one?" Ken asked, Stingmon dodging a swipe attack by the Harpymon's large claws.

"Because Harpymon's an ultimate level! Stingmon's only champion! Look, enough with this; just kill it!" she bellowed back.

"C'mon, Cairrio!" Lilith pointed her Digivice at her Digimon. "Digivolve!"

"Myomon, Digivolve to…Myotismon!" Myotismon took to the air, his red whip ready. "Stingmon, just leave her to me! I can handle it!" he charged the Harpymon, flailing his crimson whip at her and wrapping it around her talons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gee, Mister Muruha, I didn't know someone could get pummeled by a monkey in a cage."

Muruha stared at Ariyuki wearily, his body bruised. All three of them were now leaving the zoo, where Muruha was grabbed by the hair by a chimpanzee, and his head was repeatedly bashed against the bars. "Don't worry, Muruha. The nose bleed should stop soon." Aruanna told him soothingly. 

"So, what's next?" Ariyuki asked. Before Muruha could respond, Ariyuki's new D-Terminal (which Ken had bought him just yesterday) began to beep, alerting him of a new message. He took it out of his pocket and opened it. "It's from Ken!" he shouted. He read the message aloud.

_Ariyuki,_

_Please come quick! We're desperate for help! A Harpymon attacked us, but we thought we could beat it. Now there are three Harpymon flying around and Myotismon can't take them all on! We don't really know what to do anymore than to get reinforcements!_

_Ken_

"This is awful!" Ariyuki cried. "We have to go! Miss Aruanna, Mister Muruha, I'm sorry, but I have to go now!"

"Wherever you're going, it sounds dangerous! We're coming with you!" Aruanna ordered.

"No! You can't!" Ariyuki tried to argue, but both Aruanna and Muruha had made up their minds and there was no changing them. He sighed and asked where the closest computer might be.

Puzzled, Muruha announced that his house was the nearest and he had a computer. Unlike most men, Muruha's house was very clean and smelled nice. Ariyuki could tell that this school secretary hardly ever used his computer; there was almost nothing in his files or on his desktop. Nevertheless, Ariyuki put his Digivice to the monitor screen and watched as bright light began to shine.

Aruanna and Muruha were confused. What was their little Ariyuki up to? "Digi-port, open!" he commanded. After the bright light caught him, his teacher, and the secretary, he found himself falling through colors once more, not minding it nearly as much. He could hear Aruanna's and Muruha's screams of fear behind him, though.

The next thing he felt was his feet landing on soft flowers. Midori landed on her feet after him, and Muruha and Aruanna landed on their backsides, completely dazed and terrified. "Wh-what-what _was _that?" Muruha wanted to know, unsteadily getting to his feet and fixing his tousled white hair.

"Guys, this is the Digiworld." Ariyuki explained. "It's really the Digital World, but Digiworld is shorter."

"It's been so long since I've been here," Ariyuki heard Aruanna say, staring around. A screeching caught everyone's attention and they stared up; a Harpymon came hurtling down toward them, talons ready to tear.

"Run for it!" Ariyuki cried, darting toward the woods. Midori was right behind him, followed closely by Aruanna and Muruha. "Gee, where's _our_ Harpymon when you need her?"

"Alright, I've had enough of this!" Muruha shouted. "It's my duty to protect Ariyuki until the right time! I'll stop this Harpymon!"

Aruanna knew exactly what he was thinking. "No, Muruha, you can't!"

"Think about it! We can't outrun this thing forever, and it's obvious that it's main target is gonna be Ariyuki! Do you want him to get killed?!" Muruha told her.

"No, but we've come so far! We can't abandon our plan now!" 

"Don't worry, we won't. I'll just do it this one time, and Ariyuki will always trust us, Aruanna." then Muruha stopped running and faced the charging Harpymon. "Come and get me, you winged whore!" 

Out of fury, the Harpymon went down toward Muruha. "No! Mister Muruha!" Ariyuki tried to run to him, but Aruanna stopped him.

"Release my true form!" Muruha cried. Everyone, including the Harpymon was blinded by white light. Ariyuki was so scared that he dropped to his knees. When the light vanished, the white Muruha was gone and replaced by a tall figure in blue.

"Mister Muruha?" Ariyuki asked uncertainly.

Then the figure in blue turned around, revealing a bandaged body and a single eye staring at Ariyuki. "It's alright. I'll take care this thing." he said. Ariyuki gasped and took a step back. Then the creature known as Mummymon faced the Harpymon again.

He drew out a large gun and aimed at the giant winged woman. She knew exactly what was going on and desperately charged at her opponent. Mummymon charged up his weapon and said loudly, "_Snake Bandage!_". The powerful energy shot out of the gun and coiled around Harpymon. She shrieked in agony for only a moment before shattering, deleted.

There was complete silence for a long time. Ariyuki didn't dare say anything, and neither did Aruanna or Mummymon. Then he turned and stared at the young boy who was holding on to Aruanna as if she were his lifeline. "Ariyuki," he said, making the boy clutch Aruanna tighter, "Please, please don't be afraid of me."

Ariyuki was taking large, deep breaths, taking in the wrapped figure who was Muruha. Mummymon gazed at Ariyuki. Does he hate him now? Surely he'd heard stories from his brother and friends about him. How evil and rather clumsy he was.

Ariyuki seemed to not want to move. Then Mummymon saw a single tear slide down his cheek. "Mister Muruha!" he then cried and ran toward him, crying loudly. When he had reached him, his arms were around his bandaged body and he was sobbing uncontrollably.

Mummymon was stunned. Ariyuki had to be the most forgiving child in the world. Then he smiled and closed his eyes. Ariyuki felt a strange wave of warmth and opened his own eyes. He was now looking into the face of the school secretary, Muruha.

"You're human again," he whispered. 

"Yeah, but only in appearance. In real life, I'm still a Digimon." he told him.

Then Ariyuki turned to Aruanna. "Are you a Digimon too?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm…I'm…" she had trouble saying the name. "I'm a Digimon, too." she said quickly. She couldn't bear telling Ariyuki her horrible witch name.

For a moment, Ariyuki had forgotten about Ken and the others needing his help. "Oh, no! I forgot about the others! They need my help!"

"They need _our_ help," Aruanna corrected him. 

"Yeah, let's get going before it's too late!" Muruha announced. "Ariyuki, do you know where the others are?"

"Yeah, my Digivice should be able to detect the others." he watched as his D-3 beeped and showed eight dots. "There they are! Let's go!"

Ariyuki, Aruanna, Muruha, and Midori all set off toward the forest where the distress signals were coming from, praying they weren't too late. 


End file.
